Silent Hill:Restless Dreams
by Ravenclaw992
Summary: One man. One hellish town. One chance to find the woman he had loved and lost...This is James's personal story of his journey into the depths of the town known as Silent Hill. R&R!
1. Welcome to Silent Hill

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill franchise whatsoever. If I did, I wouldn't exactly be here writing fanfiction about it, would I? **

**A/N: So, I kind of felt like doing a Silent Hill story and this one is my first. For my first try, I wanted my story to be about Silent Hill 2 in James's first person point of view. So, here it is and hopefully I'll do the game some justice. I just wanted to give some insight on James's thoughts as he journeys further through the game and Silent Hill. **

"**Silent Hill: Restless Dreams"**

**Chapter One: Welcome to Silent Hill **

Three days ago, I had gotten a letter from my late wife. I didn't understand how, but there it was in my mailbox like any other piece of mail. On the front of the envelope was her name, Mary. _Oh, Mary…_she had passed away three years ago due to an illness. It had been almost impossible, moving on without her. The letter wasn't very long, but every single word felt like another nail being driven into my heart.

_In my restless dreams, I see that town…Silent Hill. You promised you'd take me there again someday. But, you never did. Well, I'm alone there now, in our special place…waiting for you. _

My name is James Sunderland and I am going to Silent Hill. I am going there to find my dead wife, Mary.

…

I had been driving for nearly two and a half hours. My stomach was growling with emptiness and I was running out of gas. The last time I had passed a rest stop or any living thing at all was an hour ago. Now, there was only increasing fog and an endless stretch of road in front of me.

The letter from Mary was sitting on the seat beside me, worn and deeply creased from me reading it over and over during the past three days. At first, I couldn't believe the letter, but after two days of wondering I finally got in my car and started my journey. Next to the letter was a large map of Silent Hill.

My stomach complained again and I flipped the switch on the car radio, hoping to drown it out. There was nothing but screeching static. Up ahead, a blocked tunnel came into view and I cursed, knowing I'd have to find another way around. Near the tunnel was a sign that said "Welcome to Silent Hill" in faded brown letters and, lo and behold, a rest stop. _Thank God,_ I thought as I quickly slid the car into a space and jumped out, heading for the bathroom door.

The place was deserted and the bathroom looked as if it hadn't been used in years. I frowned at the despicable sight of it and figured I didn't really need to use the bathroom anyway. My eyes paused on the mirror and I moved to the sink to wash my face down with surprisingly cool water. I glanced up to see my pale reflection in the mirror, my eyes tired from lack of sleep. I swiped my hand over my face and leaned closer, thoughts of Mary spinning in my head.

"Mary…could you really be here?" I voiced my concerns aloud. Mary…it had been so long since I had let her go and I certainly didn't want to get my hopes up. I took out the one good picture I had of her. She was sitting outside and she was smiling at the camera. It was before her sickness had kicked in. Sighing, I pocketed the picture and left the bathroom.

Where was I supposed to go now? There was only one road I could take and it led me here, to a dead end. In the distance, I saw another sign pointing in the direction of the lake and relief washed over me. The sign stood in front of a thin path. I only returned to my car to grab the map and the letter from Mary, and then I decided I had no choice but to follow the path.

It took nearly ten minutes of walking before I came to an iron gate, rusted with age. It creaked as I pushed it open and I saw that I had entered a deserted cemetery. Lines of gravestones covered the field and a worn down church stood at the far end. A woman stood up, her eyes drawn to one particular grave. She had short, dark hair that limply framed her face. Her clothes consisted of a pair of red jeans and a creamy white oversized sweater. At first, she looked to be in her late twenties, but as I got closer I realized she must be younger than that. I accidentally stepped on a cracking twig and her eyes swung toward me in alarm.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," I apologized, holding my arms up in defense. Her body relaxed and she nodded to me, her eyes scrutinizing me carefully. "I'm just…lost," I explained, glancing around the cemetery in search of another route. The girl's face twisted in confusion.

"Lost?" She said the word as if it were ridiculous. She gestured to another gate, hidden behind the old church. I guess I should have noticed it before.

"I'm looking for Silent Hill. Is that the right way?" The girl dropped her hand as if it were on fire.

"Um, yeah…it's kind of hard to see with this fog, but there's really only the one road," she said nervously. I nodded with thanks and started for the gate, but her voice pulled me back. "But, uh…I think you'd better stay away. That town…there's something wrong with it," she warned me, turning away to face the gravestone once more.

"Is it dangerous?" Personally, I didn't care whether it was dangerous or not; I was going to continue looking for Mary until I found an explanation. The girl's head drooped and I figured she must be praying.

"Maybe," she murmured. "And it's not just the fog, either. It's…it's…" Her voice trailed off as though she couldn't quite find the words she was looking for. I shook my head and stepped a little to my right, trying to give her the hint that I was ready to leave.

"Okay, I got it. I'll be careful," I assured her. She leaped towards me with a crazy, desperate look in her eyes.

"I'm not lying," she insisted in a shrill voice. I had only just met this girl and I wasn't sure what she was capable of or how stable she actually was. _Great, _I thought. _The first living human I meet here and she just might be a little crazy…_

"No, I believe you," I told her, not wanting to risk anything dangerous with her. The crazy glint left her eyes and she nodded. "I guess I don't really care if it's dangerous or not. I'm going either way," I stated. "I'm looking for someone." The girl whipped around and stared at me, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Who…who is it?" I don't know why I bothered telling this stranger; it wasn't as if she had seen Mary here. After all, my wife was dead. There was no possible way she could be here, yet here I was searching.

"Someone very important to me. I'd do anything to be with her again," I said, partly to myself instead of her.

"I'm looking for someone, too. I'm looking for my mama…I mean my mother," the girl corrected herself. For just an instant, she sounded and looked like a little girl and my mind just had to wonder about her again. "I thought my father and brother were here, but I can't find them, either…" she continued in a low voice.

"I hope you find them," I said to her, feeling a little sympathy for this young girl who was alone in this strange town. Still, I really had no intention of taking her with me. She muttered a reply and I hastily started for the gates. Just as I passed through them, I realized that girl had never told me her name. _Oh well…_

_..._

The road to Silent Hill was even longer than the one that led down to the cemetery. After ten full minutes, I switched into a sprint and prayed the town was close by. My lungs were burning as I finally stepped out into an empty street. There was no one around and the fog seemed thicker here; I could barely see three feet in front of me. I was at a crossroads and my instinct told me to head towards the right.

The only sound around me was that of my feet slapping against the cement. There were street signs on the corners, but most were faded and rusted. When was the last time that someone had been here? The stores were all closed and dark, the wood that was boarded on the doors rotting with holes. The girl in the cemetery was right; something seemed…wrong.

I followed this one long road until I reached a corner and my body skidded to a stop, my eyes focused on the ground instead of the signs. A fresh streak of blood covered the ground and turned into the next street. A gurgling noise filled my ears and a creature—I was sure it wasn't a human—came into view from behind an abandoned vehicle. Its body conversed into impossible angles as it ambled down the street. Thick, red blood drenched its chest and its bald head only showed two glowing slits for eyes. Against my better intuition, I creeped along after it.

The creature was easy to follow because it left unmistakable streaks of blood on the ground wherever it went. Maybe it was injured…In any case, I didn't think I wanted to get too close. _God, Mary…are you really here in this strange town? _It turned into a dead end and led me down another sandy path. Soon, I reached a small space with rusted steel pipes. One was broken off, allowing me to slip through into the dark space.

My eyes quickly adjusted as I stepped further into the small area, my eyes scanning around for the creature. Suddenly, an inhuman groan came from behind me and hot, damp breath covered my neck. Grabbing the first weapon I saw—a sturdy piece of wood—I turned to face the creature, whatever it was. It barely came up to my chest and its gray skin looked almost alien. _What the hell? _

It charged at me, a spray of something that appeared to be acid shooting out of the gaping, bloody hole in its chest. I managed to duck out of the way and the acid sprayed against the brick wall behind me, hissing dangerously with heat. The creature slowly cornered me and I raised the wood over my head.

I had never hit a human before and didn't know what I was capable of, but I didn't hesitate as I brought the wood down on the thing's head. It connected and there was a sick tearing of flesh as it screamed in agony. I struck it again and again until it collapsed against the ground, lifeless. I brought my foot down on its face, giving it one last hit. After it was dead, I couldn't help but stare at it.

"Is it even human? What the hell is it?" I nudged my foot against its body and a little bit of crimson blood dripped onto my shoe. Making a disgusted face, I left the area, but not before my eye fell on a small radio. It had a few scratches on it, but it didn't seem to have too much damage. I turned the radio on and intense static filled my ears. Through the static, I swore I could hear Mary's voice.

"What the…Well, I better take it anyway. I might need it later," I mumbled as I stuffed the radio, still on, in my shirt pocket. Strangely, it had grown dead quiet as soon as I walked away from that creature's body. Dismissing it, I ran down the road, back to the street where I was before.

A swift chilling breeze flowed across my skin and it smelled like sulfur. A single piece of paper—it looked like an old map—tumbled toward me down the street, carried by the wind. I bent down to examine it and saw a question mark at the very end of a street named Martin Street. It didn't make sense to me, but maybe it was a sign. I took out my map and, finding Martin Street, began to sprint down street after street.

Martin Street was another dead end; I could already see the brick wall blocking my way in the distance. There were a number of houses lining either side of the street, but they all seemed to be empty of life. A white van was parked outside one of the houses and my radio blasted to life as I neared it. _Could it be one of those things again? _

I pressed my back against the chain-link fence on the other side of the street, waiting for something to move. Nothing came and I figured the radio was broken. I cautiously moved around the vehicle and something reached out and snagged my leg, pulling me down to the ground.

A gray, ugly body covered my leg and something burned my skin. I recognized it as one of those creatures and immediately landed a kick against its face. The thing screeched and crawled away down the street. Catching my breath, I scrambled to my feet and glanced around, noticing a dead body in a corner. Something shined next to it and I hurriedly crossed over to it and retrieved a single key. It was small and marked with "W.S. Apt." marked on it. I studied my map and found an apartment building labeled Wood Side Apartments. _Could that be where Mary is? _

I didn't waste time pondering about her; I went off in the direction of Wood Side Apartments as fast as I could, dodging those creepy creatures along the way. _What the hell is with this town? _It was certainly much different than the pleasant vacation spot I remembered from years before.

A long fence wrapped around the apartment building and a rusted lock secured the main gate. Praying that it would still work, I struggled to fit the key in the lock. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw three of those creatures approaching me and my breath caught in my throat. The key slipped out once and I hurried to put it back into the lock.

The creatures' ragged breathing came closer and the hissing of the acid threatened to shoot out at any moment. _Come on…come on…_There was a distinct click and the key turned in the lock, the gate swinging open. _Yes! _I threw my body into the courtyard and smashed the gate closed against the creatures. I relocked the gate and backed away just as a thin spray of acid shot through the fence.

The creatures must have realized it was a lost cause for they gave up and disappeared into the thick fog. There was only thing I could do now and I pressed my palms against the rotting wooden doors of the apartment building. _This is it, _I thought as I pushed the double doors open and the darkness inside swallowed me, making me feel even more isolated than already felt.

…..

So that was kind of a long chapter, but I kind of wanted to get somewhere during the first chapter. The apartment buildings are coming up next, but I'm sure I'll spend at least two chapters on that area (it's pretty long since you go through two different apartment buildings…).

Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying it so far. Remember: it's my first SH story, so if you think I should improve on something, please tell me! Now, it would be nice of you to review (or I'll have to sic Pyramid Head on you! J/K…he scares me…).


	2. The Apartments

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill franchise or any of its characters (Pyramid Head, James, etc.), or other relative ideas. These ideas belong to Konami only. **

**A/N: Well, time for the second chapter. I don't know about you guys, but Silent Hill scares the crap out of me and it'll be interesting to see how I manage to write about the apartments…it'll definitely be in two parts, though. Let's get to it! **

**By the way, guess who makes an appearance in this chapter? It's everyone's favorite (or most dreaded) Silent Hill monster! **

**Chapter 2: The Apartments**

The only thing I could see was darkness. A couple of dim lamps hung on the walls, but it did little to light up the room or bring any comfort. Shadows clung to the walls and almost seemed to be suffocating me. A map of the building was pinned on a corkboard and I decided it would come in handy. I also made a mental note to find a flashlight or I wouldn't be able to see much of anything.

The door that led to the first floor apartments was locked and barely budged. I even tried pushing all my weight against it, but it was no use. Discouraged, I climbed the metal stairs, the railing creaking and rattling under my hand. It almost seemed as though the stairs could break down any moment. My heart thumped loudly in my chest as I ascended; even though I knew I must be alone here, I felt the odd sensation that my every move was being watched by an unseen presence. The only reason I remained calm was because my radio stayed silent.

As soon as I reached the second floor, I heard the unmistakable creak of a footstep on the upper level. I spun around and scanned the stairs, but there was nothing there. _Or maybe it was something I couldn't see…_I quickly shoved that thought into the back of my head, not wanting to think about that kind of possibility.

The second floor hallway was dead silent and there were only a few patches of light, just enough for me to check my map. There were only a couple of rooms to my left and another additional hallway to my right. I took a deep breath and turned right, trying every door along the way. Most of them were either locked or broken to the point where I couldn't even budge it open. I fumbled through the hallway, tracing my hand along the wall so I could get a sense of my surroundings.

When I came to the additional hallway, I followed it and saw that there were strange bars blocking my way at the end. Only shadows and darkness lingered beyond them. _What kind of apartment building has steel bars in their hallways? _My fingers found the doorknob on the apartment door next to me and to my surprise it easily opened.

The room itself was filled with darkness and I had to let my eyes adjust. When they did, I saw that it was a one room apartment and that there was a grandfather clock against one wall. Behind it was a thin open space, but it wasn't big enough for me to fit through. I attempted to push the clock aside, but it refused to move even an inch. _What the hell? _ There was nothing else in the room except an old refrigerator that no longer worked and a dusty, torn chair. Taking out my map, I marked it with a symbol so that I would know where this room was in case I wanted to return to it.

I exited the room and there was a shrill blast of static from my radio. My body went rigid as I looked around for the source. Out of the darkness came a limping figure, one of those creatures that I had experienced outside. Its glowing eyes wandered around, as if it couldn't see me. An idea came to me and I quietly turned off my radio so that the static wouldn't alert it to my presence. I pressed myself against one wall and the creature slowly came towards me. I held my breath until my lungs felt like they were burning.

The creature stepped near me, so close that I could smell its hot breath and hear the hissing of acid on its body. My lungs felt like they were going to burst, and I knew it was only a matter of time until I would involuntarily take a breath. The creature turned its eyes to me, but it didn't seem to see me there. It dragged its body along and then I made the mistake of opening my mouth to breathe. The creature halted when it heard my breath and swung its body around to face its enemy. _Please, don't come any closer…please…_

My fingers wrapped around the piece of wood that I was still carrying along with me, but I was hesitant to use it again. It was too much like killing a person. _Killing a person…_why did that hit a nerve in me so much more than what was necessary?

The creature gave up looking for me and crashed into the steel bars. I took the chance and ran down the hallway, forcing my body to run as fast as it would allow. I wasn't sure whether it was following me, but I certainly wasn't about to turn my head and look. I kept running down hallway after hallway until I came back to the stairway entrance. I ducked out of the hallway and slammed the door behind me.

My throat ached from the pressure of running and holding my breath. I had some water bottles in the car and I cursed myself for not remembering that they were there. I glanced at the stairs that led up to the third floor and figured I should explore that area instead. The stairs complained as I ascended once more and I imagined them collapsing, my body falling into open space until it crashed against the ground. Would anybody even find me here? Or—if I died—would my body stay here with this town's sick creatures, decomposing until I was unrecognizable? Would anyone come looking here ever again?

Dismissing those troubling thoughts, I entered the third floor hallway of apartments and thanked anybody who was listening above that there weren't any strange creatures in my path…yet. I was in a small, narrow hallway and there was another set of steel bars next to me. A small key shined in the little bit of light behind the bars and it was just close enough to reach. I knelt down on the ground and reached my hand through the bars, desperately groping for the key.

Out of nowhere, that was a clatter as the key slid away from me. Pain shot through my hand as something stepped on it and I cried out in pain, wrenching my hand back and away from the bars.

"Ow!" I exclaimed loudly as I rubbed the back of my hand, which was already growing red. A little girl, no more than eight years old or so, was standing behind the bars and smirking down at me. Her long, blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail and was waving back and forth. She dashed off into the darkness, only turning back once to call out to me.

"Ha, ha!" Her voice was mocking and childish and it echoed throughout the hallway.

"Hey, wait," I yelled to her, but it was too late. She was already gone, the darkness wrapping around her like a blanket. I would have to find another way around to reach the key and I even tried shaking the bars in frustration.

The third floor hallway only led to another short hallway of rooms, each one locked. The only place I could go now was back to the second floor…where that thing was waiting for me. _Great,_ I thought miserably. At this rate, I was shocked that I only had a swollen hand and no more than that. Then again, there was that burn mark on my leg made by one of those creatures…but it was too dark to examine it now.

I took my time heading back down to the second floor and I peered into the hallway before I decided it was safe to close the door behind me. Then a thought came into my mind and I recalled that I had never turned my radio back on. _Whoops…_I scolded myself mentally as I flipped the switch again and to my relief it remained quiet. This time, I turned left and found the hallway to be immensely short. There was only one door that pushed easily open and I stepped inside, not knowing what to expect.

A bright, shining light came from the center of the room. It was attached to a thin mannequin, with clothes that were similar to what Mary was wearing in that photo. Could she be here…in this apartment? I grabbed the flashlight off the mannequin's shirt and there was a loud inhuman screech behind me.

Another creature—different from the kind I had previously encountered—blocked the doorway. It was unlike anything I had seen before. It had a pair of legs that shined in the light, but another pair of legs were combined on the top half of its body, joined at the waist. My mouth dropped open as it lunged toward me wildly.

I threw my body on the ground and the thing sailed above my head and collided into the mannequin, knocking it over. I jumped up and, without looking back, leaped for the door and burst out into the hallway. I shut the apartment door and the thing banged into it, fighting to get it open. After a few moments of struggling, the banging stopped and I ran down the hallway. _What the hell is wrong with this town? Mary, where are you? _

Halfway down the hallway, a baby's shrill cry came from the additional hallway. There wasn't supposed to be anyone else here, let alone a baby. If there was a baby here, maybe its mother was close by as well, which meant people. Without hesitating, I followed the hallway and—just before I reached the metal bars at the end—my radio crackled. I wasn't even paying attention to the radio; my feet halted as I saw a figure just beyond the bars. At first, I thought it was a human, but that was completely wrong.

The figure, it looked similar to a man, was at least seven feet tall. It wore nothing but a cloth wrapped around its thighs, and every inch of it was covered in blood. Its head was hidden underneath a giant, metal pyramid, its pointed edge facing toward me menacingly. The figure was terrifying and probably the most unusual thing I had seen yet. Its bulging muscles and body were quivering as it breathed in and out. Even though I couldn't see its eyes, I felt them staring straight at me. I tested it out and turned off my light, but the figure didn't move; it stayed right where it was and I still felt like I was being watched closely. _This thing isn't even affected by the light…its different from the other creatures…_

Without thinking about it, I gripped the doorknob of the nearest room and stepped inside, away from the figure's uncomfortable gaze. It was the same room I had been in before, the one with the clock. Except this time, there was a television in front of the chair and it was on, even though it only showed gray static. There was a body in the chair and I sighed with relief.

"Hello," I called out to the man in the chair. "You don't know how glad I am to see a normal person," I continued, moving closer to the chair. It was facing away from me so that I couldn't see the person's face. With easy steps, I faced the man and gasped at the sight before me. He was torn to pieces, his body barely sitting up in the chair. Blood drenched the chair and the person's face. I backed away, all the while feeling the image burning into my brain.

"Who could have…" My mind turned to that mysterious figure behind the bars and I suddenly didn't want to be anywhere near there. On the television there was a small key, but it wasn't the same one from the third floor. Attached to the key was a small piece of paper that mentioned that the key unlocked a fire escape exit. _I'll have to keep it, then. That is, if I plan to make it out of here alive…_

Pocketing the key, I left the room and noticed that the figure, whatever it was, was gone without the slightest trace that it had been there. Suddenly paranoid, I glanced down the hallway despite the fact that my radio was quiet again. _Come on, James…don't let your imagination run away with you…_

I moved down the hallway and took the only turn that I hadn't taken before. A door at the corner was marked with an exit sign and I found that it led to a stairway. Wondering if I could get to the third floor, I took it. Inside the stairway, there was a small gun placed on the first step and I held it as though it were a child. It was the best thing I had seen yet, much better than the old piece of wood I was dragging around. It was even loaded. Dropping the wood for the gun, I pointed it in front of me and made my way to the third floor.

The exit door opened with a small creaking noise and I checked both directions before I exposed myself in the hallway. There were the steel bars that trapped me before and I gazed down to see the key lying on the ground in front of me.

"Yes!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as I grabbed for the key and suddenly wondered where that kid went. _Oh, well…what's a kid doing in a place like Silent Hill anyway? _She hadn't even had a single mark on her. Either she was lucky or she was trickier than she appeared. Pushing her out of my head, I studied the key and saw it had a picture of a clock on it. _Ahhh…so that's how it works, then. Perhaps I'm almost done here and I'll find an explanation to Mary's letter. _

I chose not to waste any more time and went directly to the clock room. Once there, I figured out that there was a small lock on the clock that secured the face of the clock. I opened the plate to reach the needles and played with them a little. They actually spun pretty smoothly for a clock that existed in an old, deserted town. There was a soft click and I pulled my hand back. Pushing my weight against the side of the clock, it began to move and opened up another pathway for me to follow.

…

I think I'll end it there. Of course, next time will include Eddie, Angela, and the intense battle with you-know-who, all before James even gets to leave the place! Seriously, if I was in Silent Hill, I'd be dead by now….wouldn't you? I hope you guys are liking my story. I'm going to try to make it better as I go along (remember, first timer?). And remember: review or beware of Pyramid Head and his Great Knife…


	3. Pyramid Head

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill franchise. Everything in this series belongs to Konami. Otherwise, I wouldn't be sitting here behind a computer screen writing stories about it; I'd probably be working on the next game. **

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! It really gave me a boost of motivation. Now, on with the story! **

**Chapter 3: Pyramid Head**

As I stepped through the cramped space behind the clock, I noticed that the next room had more light than the previous one. There were a number of wall lamps that glowed brightly, washing away the darkness. I wondered how they were still working or how this building even had electricity.

It was completely empty except for a clean, white fridge near the kitchen area. I figured that if this place had electricity, maybe there would be something in the fridge that I could take with me. My stomach growled at the thought; I could really use a ham sandwich or something close to it. I pulled open the fridge and fell backwards, gasping at the gruesome sight.

The fridge was one of those really small ones that had no shelving to hold any of the items. To my shock, it wasn't food that was kept frozen in there. It looked so much different from the outside; in fact, it seemed like the fridge had transformed into some kind of horror scene.

A mangled body was stashed inside and I could see white bone showing through the person's back, probably bits of their spine. It looked like a woman, but it was hard to tell since every inch of the body was drenched in blood. The eyes were open wide in fright, but they were beyond seeing. Red was everywhere and challenged the clean surface of the fridge. Bile rose in my throat as my eyes stayed transfixed. Somehow, I stopped myself from throwing up and slammed the fridge door. I involuntary doubled over, dry-heaving with my sides hurting from the effort. _This town just keeps getting worse, doesn't it? _

To my right was another closed door, most likely leading to a bedroom or a bathroom. I suddenly couldn't hold the contents of my stomach anymore; I dashed for the door and prayed it was a bathroom with a semi-decent toilet. I didn't expect what I saw in there, though it was ten times better than the fridge.

A large, heavy man was sitting on the floor with his head hanging over the toilet. Apparently, he had seen the body as well. He made sickening noises as the threat of puking hung over him. His back was facing me, but at least I could tell that this was a normal person. _Thank God…_Swiftly, the man spun his head around to gaze at me, his eyes full of fear and lack of understanding.

"I didn't do that, I swear!" The man gestured to the fridge behind me and then threw his head towards the toilet, a string of bile falling out of his mouth. The man's hands clenched the sides of the toilet until the knuckles turned white. I stepped closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay. I believe you. It would probably take something inhuman to do that," I assured him while images of those creatures flooded my mind. I especially thought about that pyramid thing and decided to call him Pyramid Head. It was the only appropriate name for it anyway. Had Pyramid Head been here, in this very room? Had he been the one to cruelly take that person's life away and leave them to decay in a fridge?

"My name's James…James Sunderland," I introduced myself. The man stopped throwing up long enough to nod and return the favor.

"Umm…Eddie," he murmured before more gunk came rushing out of him.

"Eddie…you're not…friends with that red pyramid thing, are you?" I couldn't really imagine who in their right mind would want to be close to something like that, but I had to know if Eddie had seen him. I had to know I wasn't going insane or becoming delusional. He stared up at me, confused.

"Red pyramid thing? I don't know what you're talking about. There were some scary-looking monsters though, so I ran in here. Then I found that body…" His voice trailed off, his face became pale white, and his head was back over the toilet again. Well, at least I wasn't entirely delusional, right?

"I guess this place isn't very safe, either," I observed, wondering how long I could stay here before trekking back through the dark hallways outside. "What's going on here, anyway?" I hoped he would have some kind of answer, but he shook his head.

"I told ya, I don't know. I'm not even from this town. I just…"

"You, too, huh? Something brought you here," I guessed, feeling sympathy for him. He must have been in the same situation I was in. He was just as clueless as I was. "Well, you'd better leave soon. It's dangerous here," I warned him, wishing that he wouldn't end up like the other people around here. He nodded and leaned away from the toilet.

"What about you?" There was genuine concern in his eyes, but I suspected it mainly came from the fear of being stuck here alone. Still, my reason for being here was my problem and I didn't want to drag him down with me if anything happened.

"I'm going to leave this room as soon as I'm done here. Eddie…be careful," I told him, still gripping his shoulder. Then, with one last look at him, I released my hand and quietly left the room.

…

When I was back in the hallway, I saw that I was now behind the bars. It was strange, standing there, knowing that pyramid thing had stood watching me in this very spot not even twenty minutes ago. It occurred to me that he might still be here and he had easy access to the room where Eddie was throwing up, but I was sure the thing would have already attacked by now. Moving down the hallway, I saw just one more door to my right and I tried turning the doorknob. It opened and—taking a breath—stepped into the room before I changed my mind. Then, I wish I hadn't.

Inside the room, that Pyramid Head thing was in the corner, struggling with another creature. It was one of those things with two pairs of legs. As I gaped at him, he ripped the creature's head back and began thrusting over it. It actually appeared as if he was…no, I couldn't even think that kind of thought without my stomach twisting.

Surprisingly, he hadn't noticed me yet and it was too late to turn around and leave the room. If I did, he would see me for sure. Instead, I carefully ducked into a nearby closet and slid the door shut. Through the blinds, I could see it continuing its work until the creature beneath him lay lifeless. Grabbing one of the legs, Pyramid Head dragged the body across the floor, leaving a trail of blood behind. It stopped to glance at the closet door. _Oh, hell…it knows I'm here! _

Pyramid Head started for the door and I gripped the gun in my hand tightly. If it came any closer, I would use it. The creature halted within inches of the door, its pointed helmet brushing the surface. It laid one bloody hand on the door. Instinctively, I brought the gun up and fired a round of bullets through the closet door. There was some grunting and then the deadly click of the empty gun caused my breathing to stop.

There was nothing in the room. Somehow, Pyramid Head had left the room without me realizing it, leaving the dead creature behind. I peered through the slits in the door, thinking it might be a trap. Counting to one hundred, I slid the door open and felt my heart relax as nothing came at me. Without glancing at the body, I followed Pyramid Head's actions and left the room.

The hallway was deserted—much to my relief—and the only door left looked to be a fire escape door. Remembering the key I had picked up, I hurried to the door and unlocked it, the need to feel fresh air overwhelming me. The door opened and instead of a fire escape, there was another building directly in front of with an open window. The cool, foggy air touched my skin and I shivered. It made no sense, but I lifted one leg through the open window and entered the next apartment building, despite the fact that my instincts were telling me a different story.

…..

The apartment room appeared to be the same kind of room as in the other building; it was as if I never even left that building. Broken glass covered the floor and my feet crunched over it as I wandered through the room. The bathroom was at the end of the hall and the toilet was filled with discolored, disgusting fluid. As I peered into it, I thought I saw the outline of an object clogging it. I didn't know why, but I had the desire to know what it was.

"I can't believe I'm about to do this," I muttered to myself as I kneeled down beside the dirty toilet. The fluid looked thick and there was no telling what it really was. Closing my eyes, I stretched one hand out until my fingers grazed the fluid. I pulled my hand back immediately; it felt slimy and just plain wrong. But that thing was in there…

Lifting my hand again, I plunged it into the toilet before I could talk myself out of it. I groped around the bottom until my fingers wrapped around something solid. It was a brown leather wallet, probably belonging to the previous owner of the apartment. _Who would stuff their wallet in a dirty toilet?_

The first thing I did was leap for the sink, twisting the knobs desperately until I realized that there was absolutely no water. Just my luck. I pried the wallet open and saw there was one single piece of paper with a combination on it. Picking up my gun, I headed into the living room and found a safe positioned on a chair. Using the combination, I opened the door of the safe and found three packs of bullets and a small key with the words "stairs" engraved into it. Maybe it was worth digging around a disgusting toilet after all.

Across the room, a purely white door was opened just a crack. Holding my gun up in front of me, I slowly opened the door and suddenly I was standing in a bright bedroom with a mirror covering one wall. That girl from the cemetery was there, lying on the floor. Her back was to me, though I knew she could see my reflection in the mirror. Most of her hair was falling over her face. In her hand, she was twirling a knife and a there was a glazed look in her eyes. _Oh, no…_

"Oh, it's you," she addressed me in a tired, forlorn voice. The knife continued to twirl in her fingers.

"Yeah…I'm James," I said to her, keeping my voice low so that it would soothe her. The twirling paused and the girl's eyes met mine in the mirror.

"Angela," she said in that same careless tone. I wondered what this girl had gone through to make her turn to the possibility of suicide.

"Angela…I'm not sure what you're planning, but there's always another way," I reasoned with her, staying at a safe distance so she wouldn't feel threatened. Her eyes closed and her fingers tightened around the handle of the knife.

"Really? You're the same as me. It's easier just to run, isn't it? It's what we deserve," she spoke softly, barely audible. His girl really must have issues if this was the way she was thinking.

"I'm not like you," I argued. There would never come a day where I would resort to suicide. Never. Mary certainly wouldn't like that idea. Angela picked herself up from the floor, stumbling just a bit as she came towards me.

"Are you afraid?" She said it sarcastically. Suddenly, she was beginning to get on my nerves.

"Did you find your mother?" I was hoping I could change the subject. She appeared thoughtful for a moment, glancing around the room.

"Not yet…she's not anywhere," she grumbled, throwing the knife down on the floor in frustration.

"Did she live in this apartment?" Was she the one who plugged the toilet up with the wallet, I wanted to ask her. Angela shook her head, a blank look coming over her face.

"I don't know…I'm so tired. I'm sorry…did you find the person you were looking for?" Her eyes became more alive when she asked this and I thought maybe she wasn't ready to commit suicide yet. I pulled out my photo of Mary and I adored her smiling face.

"Not yet," I admitted. I held the photo out for her to see. She studied it and then shook her head. "Her name's Mary. She's my wife." Angela wasn't listening or at least I didn't think she was. She turned away to the mirror and leaned against it.

"Anyway, she's dead. I don't know why I think she's here. She sent me a strange letter three days ago," I explained, convincing myself that the sound of my voice was pulling Angela away from the dangerous precipice that was teetering on.

"She's…dead?" Her face contorted with confusion as she tried to make sense of what I just said. To any outsider, it would probably seem crazy.

"Don't worry, I'm not crazy. Or at least, I don't think I am," I said. She instantly started for the door, a worried look on her face.

"I need to find my mama," she cried out, sounding like a child again. She kept switching back and forth like that and it made me think she might have some sort of mental disease.

"What about that?" I pointed to the knife on the ground and she stared at it as if she were seeing it for the first time.

"Oh…will you hold it for me?" Her face looked innocent and her eyes were wide like a child's eyes. If I took it with me, it would minimize her chances of committing suicide at least. I grabbed it and put it in one of my pockets.

"Sure. No problem," I replied. Angela nodded to me and whispered a "thank you". Then she disappeared through the door and I watched her go, hoping she would be safe by herself.

….

It didn't take long for me to find the stairwell door that was locked. It had a small keyhole and when I inserted the key, it turned easily. I was almost out of here and it was clear that Mary was nowhere to be found in a place like this. I stepped through the door and froze in my steps.

Pyramid Head was torturing another strange creature and this time, there was nowhere I could run. The stairwell door slammed behind me and Pyramid Head spun around, looking every bit of his seven feet. The creature behind him screeched in pain before Pyramid Head brought its foot down on the creature's face, snuffing out any life it had left. Then, it focused on me: its next victim.

It didn't help that the stairway below was flooded with water. It would be impossible for me to swim through that. Pyramid Head had the advantage as he trudged towards me. It was carrying a ten foot long knife that would surely kill me with one blow. _Oh, God, no…_

The knife came swinging at me and I ducked to the ground. I felt a light breeze on my hair as the knife missed my head by mere inches. Pyramid Head didn't mind, though. He came ever closer, dragging the knife behind him so that it made a terrible noise of metal against concrete. My hands flew up to my ears to block out the painful sound it made. Pyramid Head saw his chance and lifted the knife high above his head, bringing it down vertically. I jumped to my left at the last second and the knife clattered to the ground.

As the frightening creature came forward, I emptied the rest of my bullets into his chest, waiting for him to fall to the ground. He never did. The bullets vanished into his chest, but he seemed unfazed by them. They didn't even slow him down. All I could do was back away from him. Eventually, my back hit the corner of the wall and I realized my mistake. I had foolishly let him corner me.

Pyramid Head knew there was nowhere for me to turn anymore. The screeching of his knife continued as he drew closer. My energy left me then; I slid down to the floor and accepted that I just might die here. Eddie and Angela might be able to escape this place, but I no longer had that chance. My death was here. _This is it; I'm done for. _

The creature was only a foot away now and time had run out. His eyes were hidden, but I could feel them burning into me. Closing my eyes, I thought my last words. _Mary, I love you._

I waited for the final blow, the attack that would bring the long knife down on my head, splitting me into two and pain swelling up through every inch of my body before I finally was able to die. I waited, but it never came.

Heavy steps sounded on the stairs and something was wading through the water. I opened my eyes carefully and—with a never-ending amount of shock—Pyramid Head was walking down the stairs through the flooded water. He was leaving and he had spared me. Every cell in my body stayed taut until Pyramid Head opened the door below and the water washed out, exposing the stairs. I didn't know what just happened, but I was still alive. Miraculously alive.

…..

Ooh…I hate that battle. Pyramid Head just scares the hell out of me. But then again, who wouldn't be afraid if you saw him coming at you with the Great Knife? Anyway, remember to review and tell me what you think! It makes all the difference, trust me!


	4. Maria

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill, no matter how scarily awesome this series is. **

**A/N: Wow, those reviews are adding up fast! I was actually surprised by how many reviews I had gotten on that last chapter and so quickly! Yes, the readers are awesome! Didn't you all just love PH? Well, time for the next chapter (and in this corner…Maria!). **

**And I must say: I am on fanfic fever today! I just wrote up two chapters in one day. You guys must be happy when reading this. (=**

**Chapter 4: Maria **

The foggy air felt like a little piece of heaven as I exited the apartment building. My heart was still beating fast after that encounter with Pyramid Head. Still, he was nowhere in sight now and for that I was grateful. _Now, where am I supposed to look for Mary? _

I recalled the day that Mary and I had spent on the dock near Rosewater Park. We had spent hours there, talking and watching the waves roll in the distance. It was just another special place we had and so I started in the direction of Rosewater Park. _Oh, Mary…please be there! _

The streets were as deserted as ever and I could swear the fog had increased in thickness. I could barely see my own hand in front of me, but as long as there were no creatures blocking my way, I was fine. It was then that I remembered I was out of bullets, having emptied them into Pyramid Head. _Great…I'm alone and defenseless. I knew I should have kept that piece of wood, _I thought with regret.

The soft sound of singing reached my ears and I strained to listen. It was coming from somewhere in front of me. It sounded like a child. Was it the same little girl I had seen in the apartment building? My pace quickened as I searched for the source of the singing. The song sounded like "Ring Around the Rosie".

My eyes found her, though she had yet to see me. She was sitting high up on a brick wall, swinging her small feet and singing to herself. Her ponytail swung along with her body and her wide eyes were focused on something in her hand, something that looked like a letter.

"Hey, you're the one who stepped on my hand," I accused her without thinking first. Her blue eyes shot up and narrowed at me. A sly little smile played on her lips.

"I don't know. Maybe I did," she retorted in a singsong voice. She began folding up the letter and tried to hide it from view. Too bad for her, I had already seen it.

"What's that letter?" I stretched my hand out to point to it, but it was already stuffed into one of the pockets of her dress.

"None of your business," she snapped at me before standing up on the brick wall. I came closer to her, prepared to catch her if she fell. Then again, it seemed she had pretty good balance. "You didn't love Mary anyway," she yelled back at me. My mouth dropped open when she said Mary's name. The little girl dropped down behind the wall. There was the soft padding of footsteps and then she was gone. How did a little girl like her know Mary?

"Wait! How do you know Mary's name?" I called out at the top of my lungs, but no answer came back. The little girl—whoever she was—had vanished. Maybe I would run in to her again. If I did, I was definitely going to interrogate her. For now, I kept running along the wall and through a tunnel up ahead. I came out on a long, wide street named Nathan Avenue. Across the street, a large bronze sign read "Rosewater Park." _Mary, are you here? _

Quickly, I dashed into the park, taking turn after turn until I reached the docks. The cold, blue water was still and calm. There was no wind to interrupt it, unlike the time that Mary and I had spent here. My eyes traveled along the length of the dock and stopped when I saw a figure standing by the railing. As I neared her, my heart skipped a beat. It was her, it had to be. It looked exactly like her, anyway.

"Mary," I called out to her as I approached. I expected her to smile at me the way she always had and then this nightmare would be over. The woman did turn and she did smile, but she was different than Mary. That smile was sultry and more than inviting.

The woman's hair was as blond as Mary's but there were pink streaks towards the bottom. She wore a long-sleeved red top and a pink leopard skirt with high boots, something Mary would never wear. Mary wasn't the kind of girl who would wear these things, much less expose her stomach. Other than that, this could easily have been Mary's identical twin. My heart dropped as I realized it was just a stranger.

"No, you're not her," I observed. The woman leaned back against the railing, showing off the curves of her body.

"Do I look like your girlfriend?" Her voice was smooth and sounded almost close to Mary's. It surprised me how much this stranger could resemble her.

"No, my late wife. You…you could be her twin," I admitted to her. Her expression remained unchanged, always serene. "Your face, your voice…it's just your hair and clothes that are different," I told her, gesturing to these features. The woman combed a delicate hand through her short hair and smiled even wider.

"My name is Maria," she revealed, closing the distance between us with only a few strides. Her boots clicked on the pavement and echoed around us. "I don't look like a ghost, do I? See? Feel how warm I am," she said intimately as she lifted one of her hands to brush along my jawline. Her hands did feel warm and real. Her sharp pink nails grazed my face playfully.

Then, she took one of my hands and placed it against her chest so that I could feel her pounding heart underneath her skin. Surprised at her friendly actions, I backed away from her and looked out towards the lake.

"Sorry. I guess I was confused," I apologized to her. I nodded to her once and then began to walk away, knowing that Mary wasn't here either. Only her twin was here and I wasn't sure she could really help me. Maria whirled around as I passed her.

"Where are you going?" Her voice was suddenly high-pitched, as if it took her by surprise that I was going to leave her there. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, I explained my situation.

"I'm looking for Mary. Have you seen her?" Maria looked at me strangely and then I recalled I had said she was my "late" wife. Like everyone else, she didn't understand.

"Didn't you say she died?" Her voice was filled with doubt. Or maybe she thought I was crazy.

"Yeah….three years ago. Three days ago, though, I got a letter from her. She said she was waiting in our 'special place'," I explained to her. Maria came up beside me and laid a hand on my arm.

"I haven't seen her. Is this your only 'special place'?" Maria gazed at me intensely with her warm, heavily-lidded eyes. At that instant, memories of the time we had spent at the hotel came back to me. Mary had loved staying at that hotel, had loved the view from our hotel room. If anything, that was our true 'special place'.

"There was the hotel, the one on the lake. I wonder if it's still there," I murmured to myself. Maria perked up immediately and glanced at the lake.

"The Lakeview Hotel? Yeah, it's still there," she informed me. Her grip on my arm tightened significantly. "So, the hotel was your 'special place', huh? I bet it was," she mocked me, her voice turning lustful. Disgusted, I grabbed my arm away and walked away from her. She ran to catch up and by the time she did, she was out of breath. "Don't get so mad. It was a joke. Anyway, the hotel is this way," she said, pointing to the left. I thanked her and started off again, only to hear her sighing behind me. Then, the distinct clicking of her boots suggested she was following me.

"You're coming with me?" I turned back to face her as she shrugged.

"You were just going to leave me here? With all these monsters around?" Maria's voice sounded serious. So, she had seen them as well. I wondered how she had managed to get away from them so easily and without a scratch. I mean, here I was holding a gun with no bullets, a burn on my leg, blood covering my clothes, and disgusting fluid from the toilet caked on my arm.

"Look, I'm all alone here. Everyone else is gone. I do look like Mary and you did love her, right?" Maria inquired, leaning back against a separate railing. A suspicious expression crossed her face. "Or perhaps you hated her," she guessed, causing a swirl of protest to erupt inside me.

"Don't be ridiculous," I argued. "Alright, you can come with me," I agreed, although I think I made it sound as if I was reluctant to have her with me. Maybe I was…

….

A few minutes later, we were making our way down Nathan Avenue. I was following Maria's direction, hoping she was right about the hotel. The two of us were running as quickly as we could and eventually we had to stop and catch our breath. On one side of the road was a bunch of deserted houses. On the other side were a few stores, a club called Heaven's Night, and an old bowling alley. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the door of the bowling alley close carefully as if someone had just gone in there.

"Hey, maybe we should check out the bowling alley. I think I just saw someone go in there," I said to Maria, who simply crossed her arms. I didn't bother to wait for her consent; I simply walked toward the bowling alley. She followed closely behind me. When we came up to the front entrance, she glanced at it and held her hand out in front of her as if to say "you first."

"I'll wait here. I hate bowling," she commented, sitting down on a wooden bench. I gazed at her in wonder. Was there a reason she didn't want to come in with me? If so, what reason was it? I didn't understand it.

"I'm not going in to bowl, you know," I argued with her, still hoping she'd change her mind. It was too soon for me to be alone again. I hated to admit it, but I suddenly wanted her comfort around me. Maria stayed where she was and even held up a hand to wave at me.

"Hurry back, okay?" Sighing, I swung open the doors and gave her one last pleading look before stepping inside. I hurried to the door at the end of the hall, only to discover that it was locked. Turning around, I noticed another door that led to some kind of storage room. This one was unlocked. It held all sorts of equipment like bowling shoes, pins, bowling balls, charts, and anything else employees needed. I carefully moved around the obstacles and as I did, I heard a familiar voice echoing through the place.

"So, did you ever find the person you were looking for? What's her name…Mary?" It was Eddie's voice and he was talking to someone. He had mentioned Mary's name, but then I had never told him my reason for being in Silent Hill. Maybe it was that little girl…

Hastily, I forced the door open and came out into the main area of the bowling alley. It was mostly shrouded in shadows, save for one area where Eddie was sitting and eating pizza. _Of all the things to do in a place like Silent Hill…_

"Eddie," I spoke to him as I neared the table. He glanced up at me and it looked as though he were trying to place where he had seen me.

"Oh…you're…ummm…" My name never came to him; he just sat there looking puzzled and hopeless.

"James. We met in the apartment building, remember?" A hint of recognition filled his eyes after I jogged his memory. He picked up another cheesy slice of pizza and bit down into more than half of it.

"Yeah, I remember you, but…" His voice trailed off as he chewed through the mouthful of pizza. I wondered who had been here before me, talking to him. That little girl? Or was it someone like Angela?

"Are you alone here, Eddie?" He stopped eating and stared at me strangely.

"Uh, no," he replied in a tone that suggested it should have been obvious. A green bowling ball rolled across the floor towards us and came to a stop underneath the table. Glancing up, I saw the little girl running through the previously locked set of doors. She met my eyes and smirked.

"Bye-bye!" She called back to me before disappearing again. She seemed to do that a lot.

"Wait! Eddie, let's go after her," I instructed him, expecting him to agree. He reached for another slice of pizza, leaving three remaining pieces in the box.

"Huh? Laura? But why?" The minute I heard the name, I jumped on it. Finally, I had a name to go with her face.

"Laura? Is that her name?" By now, she'd probably be long gone. If Maria was any help, she'd stop her from getting too far. Eddie shrugged carelessly as he swallowed a gigantic mouthful.

"That's what she said." He crammed even more into his mouth and by now I had had enough of it. This just wasn't normal behavior, not when you were in the middle of a hellish town where anything could happen at any moment.

"This town is full of monsters! How could you just sit there eating pizza?" My voice rose and came out sharper than I had intended. Even so, it was ridiculous to watch this man stuffing food into his face as if he were dining in a wonderful pizza parlor. Eddie didn't seem to care for my words; he just shoveled in slice after slice. "Forget you," I finally snapped at him and rushed through the doors to follow Laura.

….

When I burst outside, Maria was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Laura, but I never expected her to wait around anyway. Then, a heavily breathing Maria came from around the corner, looking distressed and tired. She pointed behind her and waited to catch her breath before trying to speak.

"Did you see a little girl run out here?" I fired the question at her to allow her to have more time to slow her breathing. She placed her hands on her hips and managed to calm her breathing.

"Yeah, but she was too fast for me," she said, drawing in even breaths. I glanced behind Maria, but didn't see anything of interest, at least nothing that would interest a normal little girl. I figured that Laura wasn't a normal girl. Maria glared at me as I stared off in the distance. "Aren't you going to go after her?"

"Come on," I urged her, taking off in the direction that Maria mentioned. There was an alleyway behind the bowling alley, closed off by a fence. However, the fence was slightly ajar, which made me think this was the exact way Laura went. One end of the alley was blocked by trash cans and another chain-link fence. At the other end, there was a wall and a narrow space just big enough for a little girl to slip through. It led to Heaven's Night, the bar that we had passed by not too long ago.

"She went through there," Maria stated, standing near the gap. I pressed my body against the wall, but there was no way I would fit through there. Maria maybe, but not me.

"Is there another way through here?" Maria silently motioned her head to a door in the brick wall. Relieved, I turned the handle, but it remained tight.

"It's locked," I muttered, frustrated at having lost Laura yet again. Maria moved me aside and—giving me a secretive look—slipped a finger into one of her boots and pulled out a key. She pushed it into one of the locks and it clicked open. She returned the key to its spot and then took a separate key from inside her shirt; it most likely had been hidden in her bra. Smiling, she entered that key into the second lock and allowed the door to swing open, revealing the area behind Heaven's Night.

Maria and I found the back door to the bar and I prayed that Laura just wanted a drink of water and was sitting casually at one of the bar stools. Instead, the bar was empty.

A small stage was located at one end of the room, the bar at the other. Neon lights brightened up the room and posters decorated the walls. There were even still bottles of alcohol behind the bar, but I figured they were no good now. Besides, it wouldn't help us if we drank too much alcohol; we needed to keep our minds as focused as possible.

Maria led me to another door, one that opened up to another alleyway. We hurried down the metal stairs and followed the one road in front of us. Up ahead, Laura was running at a good pace and then turned a corner.

"Over there," Maria yelled out, racing next to me. The two of us followed Laura and saw that she had entered Silent Hill's hospital. _What the hell would a girl like Laura want to do in a hospital? _Nevertheless, I climbed the short steps and braced myself for what was coming next. Then, I did what Laura had done only moments ago and walked into Brookhaven Hospital with Maria by my side, not knowing that things would take a drastic turn before I could be allowed to leave.

…..

I must tell you guys: I hate the hospital. It is definitely the worst level in Silent Hill…ever! I mean, you have Bubble Head Nurses, Pyramid Head chases after you and knocks you straight off a roof (wouldn't that kill you?) and then there's the Nightmare Hospital…but that's all going to be saved for next time. Keep reading and reviewing everyone. You never know: PH could be lurking just around the corner…


	5. Brookhaven Hospital

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I am not the owner of the Silent Hill franchise. Though, how awesome would that be if I was?**

**A/N: Ahhh, such wonderful reviews that my lips hurt from smiling so much. I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story. By the way, I'm planning on breaking the hospital level into separate parts (it's just way too long!). Well, here's the first part of Brookhaven Hospital (definitely the scariest level ever!). Hope you guys like it! **

**You know, I have been listening to the music from Silent Hill a lor recently...it's mostly songs like "Promise", "You're Not Here," and "Room of Angel". Oh, God, now Room of Angel is stuck in my head...again. **

**Chapter 5: Brookhaven Hospital **

The minute we stepped through the front entrance of the hospital, my radio crackled furiously, causing my guard to go up. With one hand, I guided Maria behind me, making sure I was blocking her from anything that was coming. Her nails dug into my arm painfully, but I simply gritted my teeth. In the back of mind, I reminded myself that my gun was empty.

A shadowy figure limped across the floor towards us, its head drooping as if it had a broken neck. It wore a nurse's uniform and carried a long metal pipe in one hand. Strange, guttural noises came from its throat as it moved closer. The monster picked its head up and I stifled a gasp. Its face was a thick mass of gray skin, completely contorted until it was unrecognizable. Maria removed her hand from my arm to cover her mouth.

The creature slowly ambled toward us and when it was close enough, it brought the pipe up over its head to strike us down. Seeing my chance, I jumped towards the nurse and gripped the pipe before it came down. The nurse attempted to pull it out of my grip, but it was too late. I wrestled it from the nurse and—without hesitating—struck the nurse on the head. It fell down and I hurriedly landed a final blow, ceasing its movement.

"I believe you just saved my life," Maria commented, staring at the dead body. I gave her a serious look and walked directly towards the first room I saw. "Don't you need this?" Maria's voice called me back. She was holding a map of the hospital in her hands and I gratefully took it from her. The room I had been heading for was the receptionist office.

It was surprisingly small with only one desk and a couple bookshelves stacked with medical books. A patient chart lay on the table and I quickly examined it, noticing that every name began with the letter 'J'. Somehow, I didn't think it was a coincidence. I also noticed that every patient had some kind of mental problem. _So…Brookhaven Hospital isn't just any hospital. It's a mental hospital. And no wonder with the state that this town is currently in. _

"It's a mental hospital," Maria echoed my inner thoughts while studying a loose whiteboard along one wall. There were a few old notes scribbled on it, but nothing entirely important.

"Yeah, I've noticed. Somehow, it doesn't surprise me," I replied, turning away from the table. There was another door on the other side of the room that led to an even smaller, more private office. An old typewriter sat on the surface of the only desk in the room—it just proved how old this town really was. A journal was open on the desk and I quickly scanned it. It mentioned something called the "other side."

_'The potential for this illness exists in all people and, under the right circumstances, any man or woman would be driven, like him, to "the other side." The "other side' perhaps may not be the best way to phrase it. After all, there is no wall between here and there. It lies on the borders where reality and unreality intersect. It is a place both close and distant. Some say it isn't even an illness. I cannot agree with them. I'm a doctor, not a philosopher or even a psychiatrist. But sometimes I have to ask myself this question. It's true that to us his imaginings are nothing but the inventions of a busy mind. But to him, there simply is no other reality. Furthermore he is happy there. So why, I ask myself, why in the name of healing him must we drag him painfully into the world of our own reality?" _

To me, it sounded like insanity had certainly taken a toll on the residents of this town. Apparently, the patients of this hospital had become delusional and had slipped into some kind of unknown catatonic state. Anyway, that's how I interpreted it. Another handwritten note said that this doctor had taken a key from a patient named Joseph and I recognized the name as one of those on the patient chart in the other room. There was nothing else here, so I decided it was time to leave. Maria gave no protest as she followed me out into the hallway.

Most of the doors, like those in the apartment building, were either locked or had their knobs broken so that it was impossible to get in. When we came around to the elevator, I pressed the button but nothing happened. There was no sound of an elevator descending in the elevator shaft.

"Must be broken or something," I muttered, mainly talking to myself. Maria frowned and pointed to a white door close by.

"The stairs are right over there," she said. I wondered how she knew that. Perhaps she lived here in Silent Hill; I never actually learned where she had come from. However, the idea of Maria being in this town, much less a mental hospital, was hard for me to swallow.

"Have you ever been in this hospital before?" Maria shook her head and refused to say anything else. _That's odd…she says she's never been here, but she knows where specific areas are. There isn't even a sign labeling the stairs,_ I speculated. Then it hit me: she had held the map before I took it. She must have glanced at it and saw where the stairs were. Even so, a feeling of doubt nibbled on my mind as we entered the stairway.

A light draft brushed across my skin as we ascended to the second floor. Each stair creaked eerily under our feet. Just as we reached the second floor doorway, a soft whimpering came from somewhere below and shadows crept along the walls. My body tensed as I waited for the whimpering to continue, but everything had become silent. Maria gazed at me, completely unaffected by the brief sound.

"Laura?" My voice rang out through the stairwell, bouncing off the walls until it faded. Maria glanced down at the lower level of stairs. If the kid was trying to scare me, it was sadly working.

Grimacing, I proceeded onto the second level. Directly in front of us stood one of those four-legged creatures; it was creepy, standing so deadly still that it appeared to be only a statue. I knew different. It struck me as odd that the radio didn't pick up a signal of a monster even though we were staring at one in the face—or rather, legs. Holding a finger to my lips, I silently warned Maria to stay quiet. I shut off my radio and flashlight and then began sliding along the wall.

One of the thing's legs twitched as I drew in a careful breath. _How could it see us if it doesn't have eyes or a face? _The thought was strange, but it made me wonder. My body came within inches of the monster as I continued sneaking past it. Every now and again, a leg would move ever so slightly or it would lean forward the tiniest bit. Finally, I made it past the creature and sighed as quietly as I could. Then, I held up my hand and motioned for Maria to start moving.

It took her a minute to agree and when she did, she was able to press her body against the wall much better than I could. As if she had done it ten thousand times before, she hastily slid forward, keeping her eyes on the monster at all times. She was so close to me when she suddenly halted. _What is she doing? _

Her face scrunched up and she gently lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. It dawned on me, the reason for her hesitation. She was right next to the monster and it would have no trouble swinging its feet around to hit her. Maria was feeling the need to sneeze, which would be a very bad idea. Her cheeks turned red as she attempted to hold it in for as long as she could. Inch by inch, she moved. Confidently, she removed her hand from her nose and that was her mistake.

"Ah-choo!" The sneeze came so quickly and just loud enough for the monster to know she was there. Faster than I could see, it whipped its body around and slammed into her chest, knocking her to the ground. Gripping the metal pipe, I charged into the monster, stabbing it with the pipe until it crashed to the ground. It scared me how easily I could do such a thing when I never before harmed another human being. _Or did I…_A faint whisper of a forgotten memory demanded my attention. It came close to the surface and was gone before I could recall what it was.

"That makes it two," Maria said as she brushed herself off. She glared down at the monster and smoothly kicked it in the side one last time. We started heading down the nearest hallway and I turned my flashlight back on so that I could see where I was going. Where did a little girl go in an abandoned hospital? It seemed to be the million dollar question right now.

Rooms lined each side of the hallway, but most of their doors refused to budge even an inch. Another short hallway appeared and I decided we should check it out. There was a locked room and two locker rooms for the employees. Randomly, I stepped inside one of them and found we were in the women's locker room. Maria smirked at the old clothes and magazines that were left lying around.

Two rows of lockers filled the room, but there was nothing useful inside them. A wooden table was positioned against one wall and a small teddy bear was sitting on it. Could it belong to Laura? Could she actually have been here not too long ago? I reached out and laid a hand on the bear, only to pull back when I felt something prick my skin.

"What's wrong?" Maria examined the bear and plucked a needle out of the bear's ear. She dropped it into my palm and I pocketed it. Perhaps we could use it to unlock some these rooms.

"I just pricked my finger," I said before disregarding the bear. There was nothing else of interest in the room, so we left for the men's locker room. This one was much roomier. The lockers were all rusted and broken. A bloody lab coat hung on the door of one of them and I cautiously stuck my hand in the pockets to see if there was anything there. "Hey, I found a key," I exclaimed, holding it up for Maria to see. It was small and gold with a room number carved into it.

Taking the key, we finished searching the room and went to find the locked room. Once we barged out into the hall, one of the nurses blocked our path and threateningly held up a pipe similar to the one I was using. A deadly high-pitched scream erupted from her throat as she lunged for us.

Instinctively, I brought my pipe up and it connected with the nurse's pipe, like swords crossing in a swordfight. The nurse lifted it again and I shoved the pipe into her face, making her yell in pain. The pipe stayed stuck in the middle of her face and I let go of it. Taking Maria's hand, we dashed down the hall with the nurse stalking us, the pipe in her head swinging this way and that. As we ran, my eyes scanned the numbers on each room. We were running so fast, I almost missed the room.

"Hold on," I ordered Maria as I scurried for the key in my pocket. My fingers wrapped around it as the nurse came closer. Forcing the key into the lock, I pulled Maria into the room with me and slammed the door just as the nurse jumped for us. There was a sudden crash of metal against the outside of the door, and then everything fell silent. I locked the door and backed away, my heart throbbing against my chest.

The only thing in the room was a bed with a stained, old mattress. Placed on the mattress was a medium-sized box that was locked with a keypad and chains. What the hell was it and why was it in a hospital? Foolishly, I tugged at the chains, imagining them sliding off and clattering to the ground. No such thing happened and I gave up after five minutes.

"Don't you remember? That key you found in the doctor's office," Maria reminded me. I smiled gratefully at her and used the key to unlock the thick chains.

"We still need a number," I pointed out, playing with the keypad. It contained the numbers one through nine and could be any combination at all.

"Maybe there's one here somewhere," Maria suggested as she sat down on the edge of the mattress. Frantically, I went around the room, checking every possible space. There was no such number that I could see.

"Let's leave the box here for now and we'll come back when we find that number," I said, already heading for the door. Behind me, Maria was taking heavy breaths. When I turned back to look at her, she had her hand on her chest and was paler than usual. "Are you feeling alright?" I was so used to having Maria close by now, that I couldn't imagine leaving her behind. There was even a hint of concern in my voice. After a moment, Maria nodded and stood up.

"I'll be fine," she assured me, avoiding my eyes. Shrugging, I pressed my ear against the door, listening for any sound that might give away the nurse's presence. It was eerily quiet on the other side.

"I think it's safe," I told her, opening the door just a crack so as to poke my head outside. The nurse's body was lying on the ground, the metal pipe still buried in its head. From the looks of it, the nurse had run into the door, causing the pipe to dig deeper through her head. Even so, I wasn't taking any chances; I firmly kicked the nurse until I was satisfied it wasn't a trap.

Maria and I retraced our steps until we found the stairwell door again. This time, we climbed up towards the third floor. Keeping my guard up, we stepped through the door and I was relieved when I didn't see any fearful nurses around.

Like the other floors, I tried every door as I progressed, noting that each one was locked. Finally, we came to a small hospital room that was surprisingly open. It had a worn out bed, a bedside table, and a narrow space where we could walk. Another key, this one to the roof, was on the table and I quickly grabbed it. Maria stumbled toward the bed and she allowed herself to lie down. She closed her eyes and coughed forcefully.

"I'm not sure I feel all too well," she admitted, resting her head on one of the dingy pillows. She didn't mind; it looked as though she could fall asleep right there. Even though I didn't want to say it, Maria looked a little like Mary when she had been coughing and sick with her fatal disease.

"I'll wait for you," I told her, prepared to sit down beside her. Maria waved her hand in dismissal.

"Don't be ridiculous. Go find Laura, before she gets away again," she said to me while her breathing slowed. I was reluctant to leave her, but there certainly was no arguing with her.

"Alright. I'll come back as soon as I can to check on you," I stated, comforting her with a hand on her shoulder. I stayed that way for a long time, not willing to let her go. Then, I ventured out into the unpredictable hospital, alone and unarmed once more.

…

Well, that's the end of the chapter. I'm thinking that I'll break the hospital up into a few chapters. So, there's plenty more to come (don't forget about that fateful run-for-your-life sequence with Pyramid Head…). Hope you guys liked this chapter and remember to tell me what you think in a review! (=


	6. Laura

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill franchise (even though I would like to). I also don't own any of the characters that are in this story, including Maria, James, Laura, or Pyramid Head. **

**A/N: Those reviews are certainly keeping my story alive and going! As always, thanks to everyone who is constantly giving me astounding support. Now, on to the next chapter! Beware: it's the return of Pyramid Head…**

**Chapter 6: Laura**

Leaving Maria behind was probably the hardest thing I had to do since entering Silent Hill. True, facing the dead bodies and running for my life was fearsome, but continuing on without Maria was almost unbearable. I longed for her comfort and needed her there next to me. But she wasn't feeling good and I had to find Laura as soon as possible.

Unfolding the hospital map, I found my way back to the stairway and headed for the roof. My heavy breathing was the only sound in the damp stairway and I was suddenly paranoid; I kept remembering that little whimpering sound I had heard and of course there was the possibility of other monsters.

It took me three tries to unlock the door that led to the roof; my hands were shaking so much. When I stepped out onto the roof, I saw that the skies were growing dark even though it was still foggy. There was a separate building that looked to be some kind of control room, but it was locked. Confusion swept over me as I concluded that there was nothing else here. Disappointed, I lingered near the chain-link fence that surrounded the roof and glanced down to see that this roof was directly above the special treatment room where they restrained patients in padded cells.

An ear-splitting, grating noise filled my ears and I covered them quickly. Pain shot through my head as the sound of metal against concrete went on and I froze in my tracks as my mind flashed back to the apartment building. I knew that sound. I knew it because it was one of the last sounds I had heard before I thought I was going to die. Pyramid Head was walking towards me, dragging his ten-foot long knife menacingly. _How the hell did he get up here without me realizing it? _I was sure he was here to finish me off.

He stopped within a few feet of me and tilted his head so that I could feel his gaze on me. Then, in one quick motion, he lifted his knife with unbelievable strength and landed it into my chest so that I flew backwards through the air and collided with the chain-link fence. Aching, I lifted only my head to stare at Pyramid Head. The fence broke under my weight and the next thing I knew, I was sailing into open air and down into the special treatment room.

…

Everything hurt. Blackness was all I could see and it was painful to open my eyes or even take in a good breath. My chest was tight and my whole body was throbbing in agony from Pyramid Head's attack. Was this it? Would I suffer and die here alone?

Struggling fiercely, I picked my head up to study my surroundings. Debris covered every inch of the room and stains were smeared on the walls. I dropped my head back down and closed my eyes, falling back into blissful unconsciousness.

…..

Maria. I pictured her face—so strangely similar to Mary's—as I once again awoke to aching pain. It didn't hurt as much now as it did when I first fell into this room. Still, it took great effort to even move an inch. Gritting my teeth, I lifted my body off the floor, leaning against one of the walls for support. I felt like I had been tortured from the inside out. _I should be dead by now,_ I speculated as I carefully adjusted to my condition.

Each padded cell was locked, which I found to be weird. Who would actually _want_ to get into a padded cell? The last one was ajar and I gently pushed it open. Old, dark blood drenched the walls, making it look all the more ominous. Only one space was still white, except for scribbled writing that appeared to be scribed in the very blood that stained the walls. It said to "tern, tern, tern" the numbers with the number 0606 next to it. That must be the number for the box; what else could it be for? At least something good had come out of the attack from Pyramid Head.

Moving toward the exit, I only paused to pick up a sturdy piece of metal to use as a weapon. At this point, I guess it shouldn't have mattered since I'd probably be dead before I could leave this town, the rate I was going. Shoving open the door with one shoulder, I limped into the hallway and realized I was in the middle of the second floor hallway. It was the floor that held the box. Maybe my luck was starting to turn around.

As slow as a snail, I struggled my way to the correct room and punched in the numbers. A faint click came and I knew it had worked. The top of the box opened and revealed a silver key. A note lay under it and read that the key belonged to the elevator. _Thank God, _I thought, satisfied that I would no longer be taking the stairs. I didn't think I could actually make the stairs anyway, not in my injured state.

Leaving the room, I caught sight of a door closing shut at the end of the hallway. Out of sheer curiosity—and maybe because I didn't think anything worse could happen to me—I hurriedly made my way to the door. Inside the room were a couple of hospital beds, one of them cluttered with various teddy bears. A soft laugh came from behind one of the beds and I leaned forward to see Laura. _Finally…_

"Laura?" The little girl spun around, surprised that I was there. She had been playing with some of the teddy bears.

"You know my name?" She was in disbelief and stared at me in wonder. I shrugged and then winced at the shot of pain in my shoulder.

"Eddie told me," I admitted, earning an upset look from her. She crossed her arms and pouted.

"That big fat blabbermouth," she muttered angrily. I had to laugh at that; she was definitely something else, but she was still a child in her own right.

"What do you know about Mary?" I asked her, deliberately sounding out each word, hoping to get through to her.

"Why? You gonna yell at me if I tell you?" She toyed with one of the bears, avoiding my gaze. Painfully, I knelt down close to her so I wouldn't be looking down at her.

"No, I won't," I promised her softly. She considered my pleas for a moment. Her eyes filled with longing and sadness.

"I was friends with Mary. We met at the hospital. It was just last year—"

"You liar!" I stood up abruptly and yelled, just the opposite of what I promised her. She shied away from me and I immediately regretted yelling. Still, she had said she knew Mary a year ago. That was impossible because Mary was already dead by then. "Laura…I…" My words came out hesitantly and I was attempting to apologize. I was utterly confused; Mary had been dead for three years…hadn't she? Was it really three years? Or was it….

"Last year…Mary was already…" The pieces of the puzzle refused to fit together, much to my discouragement. "I'm sorry, Laura. Anyway, let's get out of here," I urged her. She grabbed her flashlight and a teddy bear and followed me. "This is no place for a kid. I'm surprised you haven't even gotten a scratch on you," I said in amazement. Her eyes narrowed and she paused.

"Why should I?" Her answer was…not what I was expecting. Surely, she had seen at least one monster, hadn't she? Was Laura the only one who couldn't see what I saw? And if so, why? It made little sense to me at the moment and I pushed it to the back of my mind.

…..

Halfway down the hallway, Laura gripped my arm desperately. Her eyes were wide and pleading.

"Wait, wait! There's something I gotta get!" She tugged my arm and a new wave of pain surged through it. All I wanted was to return to Maria and get the hell out of this deadly death trap of a hospital.

"Later, okay?" I began moving forward, but she dug her feet into the ground, refusing to give up.

"But it's really important! It's a letter from Mary," she explained. My feet halted and I whirled around to grip her shoulders. Did I just hear her correctly? How much did she really know? "I want to go get it," she demanded, looking in the direction of one of the examination rooms.

"Okay. Yes, yes," I agreed with her, allowing her to rush me over to the room. Laura hastily dug a key out of her pocket—where had she found it?—and unlocked the room. She motioned her head for me to go first. Maybe she was afraid of the dark. I stepped inside, not knowing where to start looking.

"It's in the back," she instructed me, still standing by the door. "In the desk," she said. I went directly for the one desk in the room and then there was the slamming of a door.

"Laura, what are you doing!" I ran back to the door and found it was locked again. She had played a trick on me and I believed her. I pounded on the doors just as a thick growl came from the ceiling. A large, caged-like creature hung from the ceiling and its black tongue—which was about three whole feet—curled and twirled in the air. _Oh…hell…_

"Ha, ha! I tricked you," Laura sang from the other side. My palms slammed into the door again and again, praying she wouldn't leave me to die. The only thing I had was the piece of metal and I had dropped that so as not to scare Laura.

"Open the door, Laura," I reasoned with her. The thing came closer, nearly flying across the ceiling.

"Why should I? I'm a liar, right? You want me to open it? Well, do ya? What's the magic word?" Her childish voice seemed to be mocking me as I desperately kicked the door.

"You snotty little brat! Open up!" Perhaps it wasn't the best response for a little girl like Laura, but I was frustrated by her trap and I was stuck inside this room with a dangerous creature. Soft cries came from the other side of the door and I cursed myself.

"You…you…" Laura's voice faded away along with her retreating footsteps. She was running away and I supposed I deserved it.

"Laura!" I screamed her name, hoping she'd reconsider coming back. She never did. I was alone with a new monster that might just kill me.

The creature swung forward and I lunged for the ground, groping for anything I could get my hands on. _Come on…there has to be something I could use…_The creature's black tongue curled around my foot and lifted me high up in the air. Its jaws opened wide—wider than a shark's, maybe—and I imagined it swallowing me whole. Fortunately, I had wrapped my fingers around a rusted knife and now plunged it into one of its eyes. The creature dropped me and I landed flat on my back. It screeched in agony and seemed to melt into the wall.

A loud, piercing siren rang out through the room. What, did Laura pull the fire alarm? Everything turned black, blacker than anything I had ever seen. The siren continued until I couldn't see a thing, until the only thing I could smell around me was the stench of fresh blood.

….

Uh-oh…guess what's coming next? The Nightmare Hospital! That particular part just scared the crap out of me when I was playing this game. I only hope I can describe it just as well and scary. Until then, I can't wait to hear from my readers!


	7. Nightmare Hospital

**Disclaimer: Oh, how I wish I owned the series of Silent Hill…but I don't. In fact, I own absolutely nothing while writing this story, except for my laptop. **

**A/N: Well, it's finally time for the Nightmare Hospital. Hopefully, I do a good job with this chapter. As always, I want to thank the readers for taking the time to read and enjoy my story. **

**Chapter 7: Nightmare Hospital **

Everything was pitch black and it was raining. There were four walls around me, but somehow I was outside. Opening my map, I realized there was a garden located on the grounds. _Am I in the garden? How did I get there if I was just in an examination room? _ I didn't remember leaving or moving anywhere. It was all a blur.

Shivering from the rainwater, I re-entered the building. It was a much different hospital building than the one I had been in. Blood caked the walls and grime covered every surface. It was abnormally dark as I stepped around puddles of crimson blood. _What's happened to this place? It looks like a nightmare come to life…_

I wondered if Maria was still here, waiting for me to return. What about Laura? How could a little girl not be affected by something like this? Making up my mind to find Maria, I headed for the stairwell door. _Wait, I have an elevator key now,_ I reminded myself. In any case, the door for the stairs was locked tight. Sighing, inserted the key and I pressed the button for the elevator, relieved to see the doors slide open instantly. That feeling disappeared once I actually got into the elevator.

It felt like I was trapped in a small cage. Bars slammed down in front of me when the double doors closed and I gripped them as the elevator ascended to the third floor. The elevator was moving faster than I expected it to; so fast, it made my head spin. When it reached the third floor, it halted abruptly, making me lose my balance. _Maybe the stairs aren't such a bad thing after all, _I figured as I left the elevator.

Turning left, I immediately started down the dark hallway, towards the room where I had last seen Maria. Most of the rooms were now covered by thick, white sheets that reminded me of the kind of barriers that were seen in a construction site. _What the hell has happened? _ It seemed like I entered a completely different world and a nightmarish one at that. _Or perhaps I entered through to the other side…_I thought, remembering the note in the private doctor's office mentioning the "other side." _Hell, I might be going insane,_ I realized, dismissing the idea of the other side.

Maria's room was open, but she wasn't there. The room looked almost exactly the same as it had; there was the hospital bed and the bedside table. On the table were a couple bottles of pills, mostly ones you would take for a cold or for sleeping. _Could Maria be sicker than she let on? _ It was just another way she reminded me of Mary, always taking sleeping pills or cold medicine in an attempt to get through her sickness. None of it had helped at all.

Deep breathing filled the room. It sounded as if someone were fast asleep. It came from the direction of the bed, even though no one was there. Could it really be possible? Could Maria and I be so close yet separated by different dimensional levels? Was she in the normal world of Silent Hill, sleeping peacefully right there on the bed, unaware I was trapped in a living nightmare? It was too insane to be true.

Confused, I gave up trying to make sense of it and backed away into the hallway. My radio cried out shrilly as I did so and, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness again, I found that I was surrounded by two nurses. They were on either side of me, swinging around metal pipes and knives. One of them jumped for me and I knelt to the ground, feeling a light breeze as the knife swung over my head in empty air. Hurriedly, I turned off my flashlight and the two nurses stiffened like statues.

Their bodies still moved this way and that, but they were puzzled by the sudden darkness and silence. They were waiting for me to make my move, waiting for a hint of my whereabouts. Slowly, I crawled along the floor, inching my way along until I was past the closest nurse. I kept crawling until I was far down the hallway.

Standing up, I noticed a strange door that had a painting of a woman with her two hands sticking out of the door. I opened my map and saw that the door was one that led to the stairs. _That's odd…_I twisted the knob below her hands, but it refused to turn. _Locked, of course. _Discouraged, I moved on and soon found only one other unlocked room.

My heart stopped the minute I went over the threshold, but not in a bad way. There, leaning against a shrouded chair, was a shotgun. On a shelf nearby were three packs of bullets. _Yes! _The gun was probably the best thing I had ever seen. It felt good in my hands and a smile crossed my lips. Along with the bullets on the shelf was a single battery that would be perfect for my flashlight. I wasn't expecting my light to go out any time soon, but it was good to have just in case.

Underneath the battery was a small slip of paper. I unfolded it and read it; it appeared to be written by a young girl and it said there was a ring in the "basement's basement". _Why was a ring so important? Unless…_you put rings on fingers. Fingers that were connected to hands. I thought back to the woman on the stairwell door with her hands reaching out to me. Was it really that simple? It was worth a try.

Leaving the room—after checking both ways, that is—I managed to return to the elevator with my skin intact. I wondered where the nurses went and told myself that I really didn't want to find out. As soon as I pressed the button for the basement, the elevator dropped rapidly like a rollercoaster ride, causing my stomach to flip over and over. My hands gripped the walls and my body pressed against the double doors. The elevator crashed into the basement and the double doors slid open; I fell backwards onto the floor. After I survived this town—_if_ I survived this town—I would never again get inside another elevator.

The basement was eerie. My flashlight only lit up a foot in front of me and I had the strange sensation that I was being watched. A large iron gate blocked off one hallway and a rusted fan was moving ever so slightly. Blood streaked the walls, but it was ten times worse than any other area I had seen. Black debris littered the ground. A doorway was at the end of the hall and I hurried over to it before I got too paranoid.

The next room was entirely too small; it was only a tiny bit larger than the elevator. A shelf was destroyed, its contents strewn across the floor. A bookshelf stood in front of a small space and I struggled to push it over. A metal ladder was revealed and I glanced down into the darkness, not knowing what to expect.

Behind me, the door suddenly burst open and I aimed my shotgun towards the intruder. The first person I thought of was Mary and she didn't look very pleased. I lowered the shotgun.

"Mary? Oh, it's you. I thought you might have been Mary. Anyway, I'm glad you're okay," I exclaimed, disbelieving that she was actually here. Then, what was that heavy breathing I had heard in her room? Was it just my imagination? Maria's expression became full of irritation.

"Anyway? What do you mean 'anyway'? I was almost killed back there!" She gestured to the hallway and I wondered how she had escaped. "You're supposed to take care of me," she cried as she came over to fall into my arms. Awkwardly, I smoothed a hand across her back to calm her down. After a minute, she picked her head up and apologized. "Did you find Laura?" I nodded blankly.

"Yes, but she got away," I admitted. I left out the part where she had tricked me and locked me in an examination room. Maria sighed and took something from the pocket of her skirt. She dropped the item into my hand and I stared, amazed. It was a small ring made of lead. It was incredibly ugly, but it was a ring. "Where did you find this?"

"In a room on the second floor," she said, looking around the basement. My smile dropped as I realized we still had to descend the metal ladder to the "basement's basement." Cupping the ring in my hand, I turned to the metal ladder and began climbing down with Maria following behind me.

The room below was smaller than the one above and it made me feel almost claustrophobic. The four walls around me were dirty and the ground was actual dark brown dirt that omitted dust when my feet scuffled over it. The only thing in the room was a ring on the ground about the same size as the one Maria handed me. This one, however, was made of copper. Grabbing the ring, I placed both of them in my pocket and felt no further desire to be here.

"Let's get out of here," I said to Maria, who stood near the metal ladder with her arms crossed over her chest. Amusement sparked in her eyes.

"Are you afraid?" Those words haunted me. Along with Maria's voice, I recalled Angela's, speaking to me as she twirled that knife in her hands, the knife I still carried in my back pocket. _Now, why didn't I just think to use that instead? _Sadly, it was entirely true; this town was scaring me the more I delved into it.

"No," I lied unconvincingly. "I just don't want to be in this hospital any longer than I have to," I told her, which wasn't exactly a lie. Maria smiled at me chillingly and then climbed the steps without waiting for me.

…

Maria and I returned to the stairwell door and placed the two rings on the woman's fingers, one on each hand. A soft click filled the air and suddenly the door swung open, revealing a single set of stairs that were headed down into the depths of the hospital. I gripped Maria's hand behind me and gave her a long, serious look.

"Okay, be careful. We don't know what's down there," I explained to her, practically whispering. She nodded once at me and then the two of us were descending into the darkness, oblivious to the danger that lay right before us.

…..

The second we emerged from the stairway into a narrow hallway, I could sense that we weren't alone. Eyes burned into my back and Maria cried out in pain.

"James!" I spun to see Pyramid Head carrying a long spear instead of his normal knife. My hand found the doorknob, but the stairwell was now locked. _What the hell?_ Fear wrapped around me and my second instinct was simple: _run. _

My feet carried me quickly through the narrow hallway. I crashed into corners, but my only goal was to find a way out. Maria rushed to catch up to me, the spear barely missing her head. Pyramid Head's heavy grunts and footsteps were close now and I pushed myself harder. The spear came at me, whooshing past my ear. Maria clenched my arm tightly as we turned another corner into a long hallway. At the very end was an elevator, but I was sure it would be too late.

_Come on, come on…almost there!_ Maria's cries filled my ears, drowning out the muzzled sounds of our pursuer. I slid into the elevator and the doors started to slide closed behind me. _Maria! _

"James! Oh, God!" Her body was forced into the double doors, one of her hands reaching through to touch me. I held her hand and frantically slammed the button that would open the doors. Nothing happened and her cries increased until they became screams.

"Maria! No!" Pyramid Head's spear protruded through her chest and blood splattered the elevator doors. Her hand fell limp in mine and it was pulled away as Pyramid Head dragged her body away from the elevator. The double doors closed, shutting out any sight of Maria. I refused to accept what had happened. "Maria!" My hands grew tired and painful as I slammed them into the doors again and again until the car rode upwards.

It was over. I had survived another attack from Pyramid Head, but Maria had not. She was gone, once more leaving me alone in a world I did not understand whatsoever. My body slid to the floor in despair and I cradled my head in my hands miserably. Maria was gone—murdered by that monster—and I no longer had anything to remind me of Mary.

…

Awwww, poor James. I always hated that part, especially since it seems you won't make it to the elevator. Next time: Dark South Vale…I have to tell you, I had a dream last night that I was walking through Dark South Vale in Silent Hill and that a crowd of Creepers were chasing me; it was freaky! Anyway, keep on reading, guys!


	8. A Night on the Town

**Disclaimer: I am one of those simple fans who does not even come close to owning something as great as Silent Hill. If I did, I would be jumping for joy by now. **

**A/N: First off, I want to thank all the readers who are taking the time to read my story. The support is amazing and the reviews really motivate me to keep going. With that being said, I think it's time for the next chapter…in Dark South Vale! Did I ever tell you guys that a Mannequin jumped me during this part? Well, it's true. Probably my main reason for not liking this part…you never know what could happen! (= **

**Chapter 8: A Night on the Town**

The elevator ascended until it reached the first floor. The doors slid open, but I stayed hunched on the ground for a moment longer, thinking about Maria. I couldn't believe she was gone, not like this. There was no way I would get her back. Sighing, I lifted my body from the floor and walked out into the hallway.

The Director's room was slightly open and my curiosity—like always—got the best of me. Inside was a desk and only one bookshelf. There was a piece of paper and a key on the table. The key belonged to the main door of the hospital. _At least I can leave this place…_

I checked the piece of paper and read what someone had written. It mentioned a letter and a wrench on the porch of a house on Lindsay Street. Another small note said there was a box buried in the park underneath "the praying woman" and that it contained a key to the Silent Hill Historical Society. _Might be worth checking out, _I figured as I made notes on my own map as to the specific locations of these items.

A shadow moved outside and I glanced up to see Laura walking past the window. She looked as though she didn't have a care in the world, despite the fact that it was completely dark outside, darker than anything I had ever seen before. It was the type of supreme darkness that only came in your nightmares. Hurriedly, I took the key and practically ran through the main doors.

The darkness enveloped me and it caused chills to run down my back. My light only lit up about a foot or so in front of me. My mind turned back to Maria and that longing filled me again. Maria was dead and I couldn't protect her. I couldn't do anything to help her. _Mary…are you really here? Are you really waiting somewhere for me? Or is this your way of taking…_

The thoughts in my mind halted. A small memory was trying to wiggle its way into view, but it was gone before I could even complete the thought. Taking what? I shook my head and felt that this town was affecting me in more ways than I first predicted. _I'm going to find Mary. It's the only thing I have left to hope for. _

…

I wasn't sure when, but I finally forced my feet to start moving away from the warm light of the hospital building. There was no more fog, just endless darkness ahead. Immediately, I turned in the direction that Laura went and began running down the street. I felt like there were hidden eyes on me, but I wasn't stopping to find out the source of it.

At the end of this street, there was a narrow alleyway leading to a chain-link fence. The alleyway was barely big enough for me to walk through and the shadows seemed alive as they jumped around the walls. My hands fumbled for the lock on the gate and I pushed it open with a creaking sound.

It was another kind of alleyway, except I was walking on a mesh surface. Large gaps were on either side, as though something planned to jump out of the open space towards me. A clinking sound, like claws on the mesh, came from up ahead and I gripped my shotgun even tighter. Hastily, I made my way across the alley. _What the hell? _

A creature was below the mesh, clinging to it and moving swiftly. Its claws were shooting up through the holes in the mesh and it would hurt if I stepped on them. When it came closer, I jumped over it so it wouldn't touch me and I ran. Behind me, the creature had stopped and then there was a scuffling sound on the mesh. I turned to see that the creature had flipped its body over onto the other side of the mesh and was similar to a fast crab as it crawled after me. _Oh, God…_

There was another gate up ahead and I pushed my body towards it, willing it to reach that gate. I could almost feel the creature's hot breath on my neck as I grabbed hold of the gate and locked it behind me. The creature lunged into it, its claws being forced through the holes in an attempt to reach me.

It was difficult to catch my breath with that thing staring at me. I backed away from it and started down the street, following my map closely the entire way. It didn't take me long to figure out that most of the streets were either blocked or cut off. One street was even destroyed, half of the street missing and crumbling into a huge pit below.

After backtracking multiple times, I finally found a normal street that led up to Neely's Bar and Lindsay Street. I ran until I was out of breath, not wanting to be out here exposed any longer than I'd have to. I took the turn onto Lindsay Street and paused as my flashlight caught the sight of a figure. It was one of those monsters with two sets of legs. _Well, at least I don't feel like I have to sneeze, _I thought, remembering Maria trying to move past one of these creatures in the hospital.

I shut off my flashlight and was suddenly drowning in darkness. It was impossible to see my hand in front of me, never mind that creature. I allowed my eyes to adjust and found that I could make out the outline of the creature. Silently, I moved past it and it never moved. _I think I'm starting to get the hang of this, _I thought, turning my flashlight on when I was a great distance past the creature.

A rusted, bent street sign—one that was caked in dirt and grime—had lettering that spelled out Lindsay Street. The letters that weren't covered with grime were faded and I could just make out the name using my flashlight. Small, basic houses lined the street, each one containing a wooden porch that was shrouded in shadows. How the hell was I supposed to find the specific house that had a letter and a wrench?

Rushing down the street, I shined my light towards each house, hoping to see some figure of a wrench or a letter. Could the letter be from Mary? I was eager to find out. As I was turning away from one of the last houses, something caught the light and reflected brightly. The wrench and envelope were at the base of the front steps. I quickly stowed away the wrench in one of my pockets so that I wouldn't have to carry it in my hands. My fingers tore the letter open hastily and my shoulders slumped as I realized it wasn't from Mary. Far from it, actually. It appeared to be an old letter, written some time ago and left here by someone.

_"Or perhaps you are a fool. The truth usually betrays people. A part of that abyss is in the old society. The key to the society is in the park. At the foot of the praying woman, inside of the ground, inside of a box. To open it, I need a wrench. My patient buried it there. I knew, but I did nothing. It made me uneasy to have such a thing near. I wasn't looking for the truth, I was looking for tranquility. I also saw that thing. I fled, but the museum was sealed as well. Now no one dares to approach that place. If you still do not wish to stop, James, I pray to the Lord to have mercy on your eternal soul," _ the letter read.

When I read my name in that letter and what it implied, chills spiraled down my spine and seemed to reach my feet. What did this letter mean? What was I supposed to stop doing? A part of me felt like it understood the message, but the rest of my mind refused to comprehend it. Out of denial, I dropped the letter back on the porch and left it behind, its words still echoing through my mind.

….

The map was practically glued in my hands as I hurried to find a way to Nathan Avenue. If I could reach that street, then I could easily work my way up towards Rosewater Park and the Silent Hill Historical Society building. I wondered what was waiting for me there and I figured I would deal with that when it came along.

Almost every road was cut off or blocked for some reason and it was difficult for me to find a normal street that I could walk on. After a long bout of trouble, I found myself on Katz Street and so far everything was clear. I kept walking west in a steady pace, out of breath from running down too many streets. Leery about any creatures that might be close, I stayed on the sidewalk, hidden by the abandoned cars along the side of the road.

All of a sudden, my radio crackled in warning and I halted. There was nothing directly in front of me and I couldn't see anything moving. I waited for five minutes, but no danger came. I glanced at my radio, puzzled that it began acting up. _Is it really broken? _ Dropping the radio back in my pocket, I started moving again.

Out of the corner of my eye, a dark figure fell from the sky and crashed onto the sidewalk. At first, I thought it was the body of a person, probably been catapulted from the roof of a building. When I looked closer, I recognized it as one of those double-legged monsters. It had missed me by mere inches. _No wonder my radio was going off…but where the hell did it come from? The roof? Was it the same one I passed by earlier? _ The questions troubled me, especially since I had no immediate answers. Cautiously, I kicked its body until my radio quieted down and then continued down Katz Street.

At the very end of Katz Street was a white wall. I swore as I prepared to turn around and head back. Still, there was no other way I could go; I had marked down every blocked street. There was no other possible route. _Mary, what do I do? Where do I go? _

Just as I was turning back, my flashlight lit up the outline of a door. It was off in the corner and there was messy writing next to it; it looked like it was written in crimson blood. Shaking my head at it, I tried the knob on the door and it swung open, revealing another street. It was Munson Street and it would lead me directly to Nathan Avenue. I breathed a short sigh of relief. _Thank you, Mary…_

My guard stayed up all the way up Munson Street until I could see the bronze sign that read "Rosewater Park." It almost seemed like a blessing. Without wasting time, I charged into the park, trying to remember where the statue of the praying woman was. I recalled seeing it as I left the park with Maria. _Maria….she's gone…no, I won't think about her right now. _

There was a small set of steps to my right and I followed them. It led to a small clearing in the park. Benches lined the wall and a white gezebal stood nearby. Had it been in the sunlight, it would have appeared inviting. Now, it only looked shadowy and unpredictable like everything else around here.

Another longer set of stairs led down into a grassy courtyard. The praying woman statue was positioned in the middle of the courtyard, her head bent in prayer and her hands held up close to her stony face. There was a hint of a sad frown on her face, even though she was praying to God. I wondered why that was.

The note had stated that there would be a key hidden beneath the praying woman. Shining my flashlight around the statue, I found a small patch of freshly turned dirt. _Bingo! It must be here…unless someone already got to it. _ Bending down, I pushed my hands into the soft dirt and shoveled. The faint sound of tin came when I had dug far enough. It was a tin box and the cover was screwed down tightly. _Ah…so that's the reason for the wrench,_ I realized as I took the wrench from my pocket.

I unscrewed the cover and lifted it, revealing a rather large bronze key. It almost looked like a skeleton key and it was extremely old. Who could have buried it here? Replacing the box, I retraced my steps until I came out onto Nathan Avenue. It was time to pay a visit to the Silent Hill Historical Society.

…..

Nathan Avenue must have been the longest road in Silent Hill. It took me a good ten minutes of walking—and occasional running—before I even passed Heaven's Night and the bowling alley. There were often times when my radio would signal a warning, but the monsters were mostly dead nurses. At those times, I would extinguish my light and walk slowly until I had passed them by. _Effective…as long as none of them come back to haunt me,_ I thought, remembering that creature that had almost landed on me.

By the time I had reached the upper part of Nathan Avenue, the radio had gone silent and had been for a while. I turned my flashlight back on in order to find the building. It was close; I could see a sign up ahead that was faded, but still read "Silent Hill Historical Society" with an arrow pointing the way. The building certainly looked historic. It was an old cabin with broken shutters, a wooden door that was rotting, and a roof that appeared it could cave in at any moment. _Great. What else can I expect from a town like Silent Hill? _

My eyes were gazing down at the pocket of my jeans as I was roaming around for the key. I didn't even notice the shrill screams of my radio or the figure that blocked my way. I awkwardly bumped into the creature and looked up to see a nurse, holding her pipe high above her head. Her grimy mouth opened to give a long, piercing wail. I managed to jump swiftly to my left before the pipe came swinging down, right where my head would have been.

Raising my gun, I waited until she lifted her metal pipe again, obviously thinking I wasn't going to shoot or that I couldn't shoot. _Big mistake,_ I thought as I pulled the trigger, blasting her away with one shot. The fact that she had lifted her pipe to attack had left her vulnerable. Now, I snuffed out the life in her with one final blow to the head. _Good riddance! _

Before anything else could come out and attack me, I inserted the old key into the rusted lock of the Historical Society building and had to lean all my weight on the doors to push them open. Glancing over my shoulder at the dark, silent streets, I stepped into the building, the doors closing behind me. I had a feeling they wouldn't open again. _Well, here we go._ It was time to delve deep into the depths of the Historical Society building. The only thing that scared me was that I had no idea what could be waiting for me ahead.

….

Uh-oh…next time it'll be the Historical Society with its horribly long stairs and too-many-to-count holes for James to willingly (but stupidly) jump into! For now, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and will leave me a small review. (= Until next time, readers!


	9. Down Into Insanity

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill franchise...as if you guys didn't know that by now. **

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews; as I've said countless times, they bring amazing motivation (and I don't do so good completing stories without motivation). Now, we shall delve into James's mind...enjoy! **

**Chapter 9: Down Into Insanity**

The slamming of the Historical Society's doors left an eerie echo bouncing along the walls. The place looked like nobody had walked inside it for years. The front desk was destroyed and barely standing, its glass cases shattered into millions of shards. Brochures were scattered among the desk and across the floor, as if there had been some sort of struggle here once. The walls needed repainting and the floor creaked as though it may fall through at any moment. _Not exactly the most secure building, is it? _

Through the main doors, there was a separate gallery. Historic paintings told the story of Silent Hill's past and it amazed me that the paintings were in such good condition even though the atmosphere around them was quickly falling apart. A small display case was in the center of the room, but its glass was also shattered and the remains of the items were in pieces.

One painting in particular caught my attention and my breath seemed to slow inside my throat. It was larger than the others and I had never seen it before, but I recognized it immediately. It featured victims of torture and punishment, hanging in cages from the ceiling.

Off to the side was the executioner, the Pyramid Head that I kept running into. He appeared the same way, with his red metal pyramid and an uncomfortable feeling that he was watching. _It's him..._The plaque at the bottom of the painting read "Misty Day, Remains of the Judgment." Were these victims punished or judged for sins they had committed? Was this monster only playing the role of an executioner? If so, why did he want to execute me? Angela's voice came back to me, speaking words that I had heard only a short while ago: _Are you afraid? Besides, it's what we deserve..._

"I'm not the same as her. I didn't do anything," I complained out loud. Even to me, it sounded like I was trying to convince myself instead of speaking the truth. What was the truth? It didn't make sense to me anymore. Nothing in this town made sense. Did it?

Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I turned away from the painting and started towards a room in the back. Maybe there would be something I could use, something to help me find Mary. The room was much smaller than the first, but it was more astounding. More paintings—not as big as the main ones—hung on the walls. I didn't bother to look at them; I was too busy staring at the hole in the wall. It looked as though someone had caused an explosion here. The walls were black with soot and crumbling in small chunks. The hole revealed a staircase and a long one, by the looks of it.

Glancing over my shoulder only once, I began my descent into the depths of this building. _I sure hope I don't meet the executioner along the way..._

…

The further I traveled downwards into whatever hell was waiting for me, the more my head started to ache. It was only a minor pain at first, then it gradually shifted into a deep throbbing. There were times when I had to close my eyes in order to shy away from the intense pain in my head. The staircase went on for what seemed like ages. By the time I reached the door, my legs felt like I had been running a six-hour marathon. _If only they had an elevator here. Then again, I don't want to repeat the ride from Brookhaven Hospital. _

There was only one door at the end and I was surprised to find that it wasn't locked. Maybe someone had been here before me. If it was that pyramid Head monster...I didn't even want to think about it. _Maybe it was Mary, _I thought with a surge of hope. Cautiously, I edged the door open and pointed my shotgun into the hallway, not knowing what to expect.

It was some kind of grimy prison area. A sign-in desk was located to my right and the clipboards had some readable information, but not much. The green-shaded lamps were all broken. Another door was across the room and I figured it must lead to the actual prison. _Since when is a prison underground? And under a building like the Historical Society? It makes no sense! _

In the next room, there was only a medium-sized hole in the center. It was dark and I couldn't see the bottom. _What am I supposed to do? Just jump? _There was no telling how far down the bottom was and it might kill me. Still, there was no other way to go. Trusting my instincts, I leaned over the hole and jumped into the darkness below.

…

It was cold and wet. The room around me was circular and there was no visible doorway. Trash, water, and what looked to be blood was pooling on the ground. My head felt ready to explode; I must have hit it when I landed. _Oh, God...I could have a concussion right now. I'm in a well, aren't I? It's a deep well underneath an area of a prison underneath the Historical Society building...how am I going to get back up? _

To me, it looked like I was stuck here. Had it been a trap? Was I doomed to die down here, alone? My hands rapped against the sides of the well, even though it was probably a lost cause. My clothes were soaking wet from the bottom of the well and I figured I could catch pneumonia if I wasn't careful. _Or I could get killed...or I could get my head whacked off by a ten-foot long knife, which is the same as getting killed. Am I going insane? _

A hollow sound reached my ears as my fist knocked against a specific part of the wall. Smiling, I gripped my shotgun and used the butt of the gun to make the wall cave in. It took a few swings, but the wall finally crumbled into a pile of rubble. _Something tells me I won't be forced to pay for that, _I thought as I stepped through the newly formed hole.

I was in a type of sewer, somewhere in a tunnel. My radio blasted out static as a creature turned the corner. It was the kind that would spit out acid at me. It let out a shrill cry and made its way towards me. Lifting the gun, I did what I usually did with these creatures and I shot it dead with three bullets. Just for safety, I gave it one last kick in the chest. It should have scared me that I was so comfortable with taking these things down, but I decided to call it confidence.

The tunnel had very few turns, so the only choice I had was to follow it. My feet were becoming soaked from treading through the sewage water. They made a wet clomping sound as I shoveled towards the end of the tunnel. There were two doorways; one leading to another—locked—hole, and the other closed, obscuring its hidden dangers. Since I couldn't get through the locked hole, I hoped there was a key somewhere inside the other room.

It appeared to be some kind of elevator that was out of use. It was barely big enough to fit my body. On the floor—in plain sight—was a brass key. _There you are! Now it's time to get out of here. _Just as I grasped the key in my hand, the door slammed shut. My fingers wrapped around the door handle and I desperately pulled but it didn't budge.

"Aw, come on!" It was then that I noticed a keypad next to the door with a few lighted numbers: 3, 5, and 7. The number must have been using those three buttons, which narrowed it down a little. My flashlight abruptly dimmed, flickered once, and then went out. "Great," I sighed, searching for that other flashlight battery I had been carrying. It was here somewhere, it had to be.

My hands found it and I blindly shoved it into the flashlight. It flashed brightly and my smile dropped as I witnessed the thousands of abnormal cockroaches swarming around me. Some of them bit through my shoe and I yelped in shock. _The keypad...I have to open this door! _The roaches were climbing the walls, some of them actually trying to jump onto my body.

The first number I tried was 537. A beeping noise erupted from the machine and the door stayed locked. _Come on...come on..._My fingers groped around on the keypad until I punched in 735. The same warning sound came and my hopes were quickly fading.

A few pinches spread over my legs and my heart was racing through my veins. _Okay...one more number...357,_ I prayed, concentrating on the keypad instead of the roaches. A different sound, a clear pinging, came and the door swung open. I ran straight out of the room, shaking off the roaches before shutting the door on the rest of them. _What the hell was that? _

After slowing my heartbeat, I trudged into the adjacent room. The last thing I wanted to do was fall into another trap. With quivering hands, I unlocked the grate that was placed over the hole. Shining my flashlight downwards, I realized it was the same as last time; I couldn't see the end at all. _Here we go again..._

This hole was ten times stranger though. It almost looked like a hallway that was turned on its side. Overhead lights were now connected to the side of the tunnel. Now, I noticed two rusty, pale doors hanging oddly on the sides of the room. It made my head hurt from studying it for so long. _Is this some kind of illusion? Or is this really a twisted hallway? _Despite my troubles, I hesitantly leaned forward and allowed my body to drop into open space once more.

…

The landing at the end was painful, much more so than when I landed in the well. I was in the prison; the room I was in looked like some kind of cafeteria. Rows of broken tables filled the room, some with old trays left on them. Flies buzzed around insistently, especially near the grime that surrounded the place. A dead body was sitting at one of the tables, his head bent down on the surface of the table. Blood had splattered on the wall behind him. _Oh, God...did someone shoot him? _

Eddie—the last person I expected to run into—was slumped against a wall. In his hands was a revolver, still smoking. The pieces clicked in my head and I had to stifle a gasp. His head was also bent, like a reflection of the dead body. His eyes were narrowed and staring at the gun.

"Eddie..." I didn't know what to say to him. My eyes went back and forth between him and the body. Eddie glanced up as he realized I was there. A hint of sheer madness glowed in his blue eyes and a cruel smile spread over his lips. _Eddie, what has this town done to you? _

"Killing a person ain't no big deal," he said in a strange, eerie voice. He slowly lifted the gun to his forehead and for a second I was afraid he would take the coward's way out. "Just put the gun to their head...pow!" Eddie imitated shooting someone in the head. He was insane; completely, utterly gone.

"You...you killed him," I accused him, motioning to the dead body. Eddie's eyes became fearful and he stared down at the gun as if he just discovered it there in his hand.

"B-but...it wasn't my fault! He...he made me do it," he exclaimed in a whiny voice. I came closer to Eddie, holding my hands out in front of me to let him know I wouldn't try anything.

"Calm down, Eddie. Tell me what happened," I urged him. I kept my voice serene to avoid making Eddie frustrated or afraid. Eddie's frown deepened and he glared at the body as though the person were still alive.

"That guy...he had it coming! He just came after me! Besides, he was making fun of me with his eyes," Eddie insisted, shifting uncomfortably. My mind tried wrapping around Eddie's story, but it was difficult. He had more issues than I first imagined.

"Just for that, you killed him?" My voice rose several notches and I threw my hands in the air in disbelief. Eddie gestured to me with the hand that was holding the gun and I regretted losing control. I couldn't do that with a person like Eddie, not when he was completely unstable.

"What do ya mean, 'just for that'?" Eddie yelled back at me, his expression one of rage and distrust.

"Eddie, you can't just kill someone because of the way he looked at you," I reasoned with him, pleading with my eyes. A small glimmer of understanding was there all of a sudden and a surge of hope flowed through me. _Come on, Eddie...you can't be that far gone into this insanity, can you? _

"Oh, yeah? Why not? 'Til now I always let people walk all over me. Just like that stupid dog...he had it coming, too!" My hope crashed to the ground as swiftly as it had risen. There was no getting through to Eddie and that scared me. I wasn't sure what he was capable of or what he might do.

"Eddie!" The man gazed up at me as if he just noticed I was there, as if he were seeing me for the first time. He stood up, stumbling only a little on his thick legs. That crazy look had returned and I didn't like it one bit.

"He, he. I was just kidding, James," he told me with a wide grin. _Really? Why don't I truly believe you? _Distrust must have been written in my eyes, for Eddie smirked at me. "He was dead when I got here, honest. Anyway, I gotta run," he said, heading for the door.

"You're going out there alone," I stated instead of simply questioning him. I certainly didn't want him alongside me, but that didn't me I wasn't worried for him. Who knew what he might encounter in a place like this? "Eddie," I called to him, but he was already gone, having disappeared through the only door. He had left me behind in this hellhole, much like I had done to him when we had first met only a few hours ago.

…

Yay for that little bit of character interaction. You know, that kind of thing is hard to come by the further we delve into this story. I believe Eddie might just go nuts in the next chapter, but we'll see. Until then, keep reading and reviewing! (=


	10. Prisonic Fairytale

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill franchise…I'm just a down-to-earth fan like everyone else. **

**A/N: First off, I'd like to thank the readers who are taking their personal time to pay attention to my story. I'd also like to thank the reviewers, especially ProfessorHermioneGranger and SusanPevensie; your support, as always, is amazing and keeps my story alive. Now, be prepared to enter Silent Hill's prison…**

**Chapter 10: Prisonic Fairytale **

Everything was deadly silent after Eddie left. It was strange; I couldn't even hear the sound of his fading footsteps. He was just gone, like an apparition vanishing into thin air. Hopefully, I wouldn't run into him again anytime soon, especially since he was making me more uncomfortable with each encounter. _Sorry, Eddie, but you're not worth the trouble. _

Beside the dead man was a thick bronze slate with a distorted image of a pig carved into its surface. Beneath the carving was a phrase that read "Tablet of the Gluttonous Pig." Sadly, it reminded me of Eddie and I wondered if that was the reason for its existence in this room. I didn't know what it could be used for, but I decided I might need it later on. Tucking the tablet away, I exited the room through the door that had Eddie had disappeared through.

The prison hallway was empty except for a desk that was covered with paperwork. A map of the prison was on top and I grabbed it, folding it into a small square. Off in the distance, it sounded as though someone were attempting to break through the bars of a jail cell. My pulse hastened as I listened to the disturbing sound. It gradually faded away and I was able to put it—for the most part—out of my mind.

A doorway at the end of the hall led to the shower room. Darkened stalls were left with their dirty water running from the taps, causing a small flood on the floor. I ran around the room, checking each one carefully for any sign of something useful. On the floor of the last one was another tablet, similar to the one in the cafeteria except it was a scarlet color.

It featured a mouthless woman burning in a lake of flames. A phrase was engraved, much like Eddie's tablet, this one reading "Tablet of the Seductress." The woman's narrowed eyes were looking out in misery and they were somewhat familiar to me. Then it hit me. _Is this…could this woman be Angela? Her eyes…_Angela's eyes had looked the same way when she had been contemplating suicide in the apartment building. For the first time, I wondered if each of us had a specific role to play in this town. _If so, then what's my role? _

Picking up the tablet, I wanted to leave the shower room as soon as I could. An abnormal shriek caused me to whirl around and come face to face with another creature. It was lingering in the entrance of the stall, blocking my way. It stared at me with its cold eyes and opened its mouth to scream once more. Frustrated, I gripped the gun in my hands, already knowing I'd have to use it. The creature ambled forward, cornering me. _Okay, you asked for it,_ I thought as I pulled the trigger. All I heard was the single click, alerting me that the gun was empty. _Oh, great…_

The creature must have realized the reason for my fear for it lurched forward without hesitating. Instinctively, I lifted the gun high above my head and—with one quick motion—I slammed the butt of the gun against the monster's head. It fell straight to the floor, confused by my sudden improvisation of an attack. I raised my foot and ground it down into the monster's face, assuring its death. _Well, that felt good. Wait…that felt good? It shouldn't feel good, not when it's so close to taking an actual human's life. But it isn' t human, so that should count for something…_

I had only spent about fifteen minutes in this prison and already it was starting to make me think troubled thoughts. Then again, my thoughts were troubled from the moment I stepped into this town. Stepping over the monster's lifeless body, I re-emerged into the prison hallway with the Seductress tablet in my hand. I chose to turn right down the hallway, twisting every doorknob as I went along.

An interrogation room was across the hall from the shower room. It was very tiny and I only had access to one side of the interrogation room. A Plexiglas screen was secured in the center of the room so that a prisoner wouldn't be able to harm the person they were speaking with. On the wood surface of the table in front of me was a lighter—one that actually still worked—and I gratefully pocketed it.

Soon after, I left the room and went in search of another unlocked area. Using the map as a guide, I easily found the first hallway of jail cells. It was rather long, holding at least ten cells along one wall. The lights were barely flickering and I had to rely on my flashlight in order to walk down the hall. Each cell I passed was jammed, rusted, or simply refused to budge.

A deep grunting noise and some shuffling caused my eyes to dart up towards the ceiling. There were only shadows, but I sensed that there might be something there, unseen. The grunting began moving down the hall away from me and I slowly followed it, not wanting to make any noise. It sounded like a big animal or another monster.

Reaching into my pocket, I recalled that there was still a half packet of bullets left. Loading the gun as quietly as I could, I raised it and waited until I heard the grunting again. Hastily, I squeezed the trigger. A scream came from somewhere above and it sounded almost human. Gritting my teeth, I pulled the trigger again and another human shriek sounded. Everything grew quiet and it was only then that I realized my radio had never picked up any sign of a monster here. My breathing grew rapid as I tried to dismiss the assumption that was surfacing in my mind. _Oh my God…did I just shoot a human? What was that thing? Could it have been Eddie? _I doubted it was him, but I definitely couldn't handle having another life on my hands.

"Hello?" My voice echoed along the hall and bounced back to me in an abstract tone. No response came and I feared that—whoever or whatever it was—it was dead. Perhaps it was that Pyramid Head thing, which would certainly make me feel better. Still, I didn't think a couple of bullets would kill something like him. _It would be able to kill a human, though…_

"Is anyone there?" Again, I called out, wanting to make sure that it wasn't a person. No answer came and my shoulders slumped in distress. It was probably too late to help whoever it was, but it didn't keep me from wondering with heavy guilt. _Great…now that Pyramid Head thing actually has a reason to execute me…if he didn't already._

Eventually, I started moving again and the next cell door I checked was unlocked. With difficulty, I edged it open and examined its contents. There was a small white cot that looked like it could only fit a child. On the mattress was a third tablet, this one darker than the others. It showed a carved image of a man hanging in one of those torturous cages that was featured in the "Judgment Day" painting. A pyramid was positioned above the man's head, a symbol I took to represent that monster. In clear writing, the words "Tablet of the Oppressor" were at the bottom. _That man…could that possibly be me? Am I playing the role of the oppressor? _

Afraid, I turned to leave the cell; all I wanted to do was find an exit and get the hell out of here at once. My hands gripped the bars of the cell and I pulled, but the door refused to open. _No…what the hell? Open!_ I tried again, but it was the same result. The door remained locked and my heart pounded in my chest. _Is this punishment for shooting that unseen figure? Or punishment for something else? _ Once more, I frantically grasped the bars and pulled. To my relief, the door swung open, releasing me from that claustrophobic space.

The closest doors were to my left and I hurried to reach them. The last cell in the hallway slowed me down. Inside it were a couple of drawings and a small doll of some sort. Shoving the cell door open, I grabbed the white doll and examined it. _Could Laura be down here? No…this isn't her type of toy. For her sake, I hope she's not here._ It was bad enough worrying over Eddie; the last thing I needed was to watch over Laura again. _She'd probably trap me in a prison cell, just like she did with the examination room. _

Stuffing the doll in one of the pockets of my jacket, I headed through the double doors and into the other section of the prison. It looked much the same as everything else in the prison; gray, depressing, and dirty. Two double doors stood in front of me and I figured they led to another hall of cells. Checking my map, I saw that I was wrong; it led to the courtyard of the prison. The doors slowly opened the slightest bit, allowing a cool draft to settle on my skin. My body tensed as I pushed the door even wider and entered the courtyard.

It was almost as dark as it was on the streets of Silent Hill. The stone walls stretched on until I couldn't see where they ended. In the distance, I thought I could hear horses whinnying, their hooves hitting the ground. Maybe it was just the wind. Cautiously, I started moving deeper into the courtyard, my flashlight illuminating the grass as I walked.

In the center was a wooden platform, the kind they use when they wish to hang someone. A noose was dangling down and swinging in the wind. An engraved picture—one that showed two of those Pyramid Head things spearing someone—was on the base of the platform along with three slots. _These must be where the tablets go. I wonder what they do, though…_

One by one, I inserted the tablets. When the final one clicked into place, a loud blood-curdling scream came from the swinging noose, as if someone just got hanged. Shaken by the sudden, unexplainable sound, I backed away and almost ran to the door. For a minute, I became confused and couldn't find the door. Panic swept through me, chilling my bones. _Where's the door? Where's the door? Did it somehow…disappear? _

The beam of my flashlight shined on the door and relief overwhelmed me. On the handle of the door was a horseshoe, something that hadn't been there before. _Who could've put this here? _Easily enough, I detached the horseshoe from the handle and carried it with me. It must have had some purpose if it appeared like that. _Or maybe it was intended to freak me out…in that case, it's working. _

In the hallway, there was a third, smaller area that was located behind a red, rusted gate. The gate was hard to open, but eventually it did when I leaned my body against it. A few locked rooms were there as well as a trapdoor on the floor. It had no handle, which meant I couldn't lift it up. Thinking quickly, I took the doll, the lighter and the horseshoe from my pocket. Usually, I wasn't as creative as this, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

The doll was wax. I figured that out when I lit fire to it, causing it to melt away in thick white globs. As it melted, I poured the wax over the spot where the handle should be. Then, I lowered the horseshoe into the wax and let it sit there until the wax cooled and hardened. _Now, it's time for the test. _When the wax cooled, I carefully lifted the horseshoe, hoping it would result in lifting the door. Gradually, the door rose and the depths of the trapdoor were revealed. _Not too bad, James. Not too bad. _

I had yet another hole to jump into. I wondered how far down I would have to go in order to find Mary. It almost felt like I was digging my way to Hell itself. _Except I'm already in Hell, by the looks of it. _Shutting my eyes, I took a deep breath and jumped down into the seemingly bottomless pit.

…

**Down, down, down James goes. Where he stops, nobody knows…except those who play Silent Hill of course. Well, I hope the readers liked the chapter and leave a review to tell me what you thought about it! Sorry that I couldn't include Eddie, but there is the labyrinth still yet to come. And more Pyramid Head…**

**By the way, the "unseen monster" in the prison is actually real. I heard it a couple times while playing (and James will glance up at something you can't see). The radio won't go off, but it is a monster known as "the Prisoner". I killed it last time I played and it almost sounded like a human! It scared the hell out of me! So I decided to include it here (kind of like an easter egg for those of you who are interested!). **

**As for the horses, you can sometimes hear them if you listen closely and turn up the volume (hence the horseshoe). Occasionally, I can hear them when I play, but most times I ignore them. Well, until next chapter, readers!**


	11. Deeper Into Darkness

**Disclaimer: I do not the Silent Hill series or any of its characters, places, or other relative ideas. **

**A/N: Sorry it took a while before I updated; life is kind of intruding on my fanfic habits. As always, the reviews are really good and they keep me motivated. It's good to hear that the readers are enjoying my story. So, without further ado, here's the next chapter! **

**Chapter 11: Deeper Into Darkness**

The cement floor felt cool against my face. Slowly, I opened my eyes and for a minute I had forgotten where I was. _Oh, right...I was jumping down holes..._

Recalling the nightmare I had been living for the past few hours, I hastily put my guard up as I observed my surroundings. It looked to be a cleaner area than the prison. There were stairs behind me, but the gate in front of them was bolted shut. Two other doors were located in this small hallway, both locked. The only way to go was into an elevator straight ahead, one that looked eerily similar to the one in the hospital. _Oh, not this again._ In the pit of my stomach, I felt like I was going to regret this.

Hesitantly, I walked into the elevator. The double doors slid closed and a row of bars slammed down in front of me, making me feel like a prisoner. There were no buttons; the only way was down. _Any further and I really will be in Hell, _I thought as I descended. It was the longest ride of my life, lasting almost ten whole minutes. Finally, the elevator came to a stop and the bars lifted.

The room before me was very plain with yellowish walls and musty air. I was in a short hallway and it was brighter than any area of Silent Hill I had ever seen. Across the hall was another doorway, but it was blocked by barbed wire. I had nothing to cut it with, not without injuring myself.

Glaring at the obstacle in my way, I chose the only path available; the one immediately to my left. There was absolutely no map to guide me through this area, which only made my task harder. There were very few lamps in the hallway, so the only light source I could depend on was my flashlight. _Thank God I changed the battery recently. I wouldn't want to be in this place in the dark. _I could only imagine the kinds of nightmarish things that would appear if there was no comforting light in this place. I didn't even want to consider it.

After following the hallway for nearly ten minutes and taking turns that only led to dead ends, I figured this area was more of a labyrinth than a simple building. I only hoped I could find my way back, especially when it was so shadowy and the deeper I went, the more I would probably find danger. An idea popped into my head at that moment and—using the back of one of the other maps and holding my gun underneath my arm—I carefully began to draw out the hallways of the labyrinth. At least this way I would have a chance of retracing my steps.

It took me almost ten more minutes before I reached another dead end. This one, however, had a metal red ladder at the end leading down into unknown darkness. Removing my flashlight from my pocket so that I could shine it downwards, I peered into the darkness. Who knew what could be waiting for me once I descended this ladder? There was only one way to find out and there was no other way I could go.

Placing the flashlight and my poorly hand drawn map in my jacket pocket, I carried the gun in my hand and slowly lowered my body onto the first rung of the ladder. One step at a time, I crept into the deep darkness beneath me, praying that there would be no monsters waiting for me at the bottom.

…

My flashlight barely wiped out a foot of the darkness in front of me. All the way down, the ladder creaked and groaned; it would have been ridiculously easy for a nearby creature to hear me. Holding my hand out in front of me, I searched around in case there were any sneaky monsters beyond arm's length. _Well, isn't that a good idea. I'll just lend them my arm. _

This was some kind of sewer or underground tunnel. Green, contaminated sewage water was pooled at my feet, reaching up to my ankles. My boots quickly became soaked and I could almost feel that water sink in to the bottom of my socks. Every step I took, my feet plodded through the water and it would give my presence away in a mere moment.

Treading through the tunnel as softly as I possibly could, I searched for another ladder or pathway. There was only one way to go and that was straight forward. Still, I kept having the sensation that someone or something might be following me in the darkness and I often glanced over my shoulder. _There's nothing there. If something had dropped down the ladder, I would have heard it,_ I tried hopelessly to convince myself. There was that Pyramid Head thing; he seemed to appear out of thin air without using ladders or walking through doors. Maybe that's why I kept looking over my shoulder.

Every now and then, I thought I heard the unmistakable sound of metal against cement, the sound I heard whenever Pyramid Head dragged his knife behind him. It caused my heart to skip each time I heard it and I would always stop to check if he was coming at me from somewhere unexpected.

Thankfully, there was a metal ladder at the end of the long tunnel that was identical to the one I used to get down here. Frantically, I lifted myself onto the first step and quickly climbed. Before I got out, however, I was sure I heard footsteps coming from close behind.

…

It was like I was experiencing déjà vu; the hallway looked exactly the same as the first one in this labyrinth. My head spun wildly as I drew the same pathways as I had before. Did I somehow go in circles? Or was it meant to confuse me like this and eventually doubt myself?

Shaking my head in confusion, I concentrated on drawing my map and realized I had no immediate desire to return to that underground tunnel. I couldn't have imagined those footsteps; I wasn't insane like everyone else in this town. _That's not true. Laura isn't insane, but she's just a little girl,_ a small voice in my head argued. I wondered where Laura was now and hoped she was okay. How could a kid like her survive all this? Even Maria...

I forced myself to forget about Maria and everything other tragedy that had taken place. All that mattered now was surviving this and finding Mary. Absently, I took a few turns while dragging my stub of a pencil across the bland paper. I was so busy drawing the walls of the tunnel that I bumped into the wall when I reached the dead end. My head pounded and my skull felt it was going to explode. _Ow, that wasn't exactly smooth, James. _

Rubbing my hand against my aching forehead, I noticed there were two separate ladders; one was on either side of me. Was this supposed to be a trick? Would one lead to certain death, the other being the right choice? They looked exactly the same and there was no way to tell what lay at the bottom. Staring back and forth at the two of them, I decided on the one to my left.

It was a long way to the bottom and the darkness practically swallowed me whole. My boots clomped loudly on the metal steps of the ladder and I winced each time they did. I was making it really easy for a creature to find me.

The room appeared to be completely circular. Shadows jumped along the wall as I waited for my eyes to adjust. Sliding my hand along the dirty brick wall, I started to make my way around the room. As soon as I began moving, my radio screamed out in protest and my heart leaped into my throat. I was gripping the shotgun in one hand, but it was only comforting me so much.

Grating covered the floor and those crab-like things were clinging on to the holes in the mesh. Grunting, they used their pincers to crawl along the underside of the mesh. To my relief, there were no holes for them to climb through and so I was able to walk around them.

A small alcove in the left side of the wall led to a brown, blood-stained door. Out of curiosity, I entered the alcove and stepped into the strange room. The minute I did, I regretted it.

The door slammed closed behind me even though there was no wind or anyone there. The room itself looked like it was prepared for a ritual. There were cages hanging from the ceiling, much like the ones that were in that old painting of Pyramid Head. Inside the cages were corpses, all bloody and torn apart with their eyes sewn shut. A small table along one side of the wall was covered in a white cloth; well, it was mostly white except for the few patches of crimson blood. Candles were lit on either end of the table, causing golden light to bathe the room.

It was the item on the table that froze me in my spot. On the table was Pyramid Head's knife, the one he always carried along behind him. It was stained with dried blood all the way up to the hilt and the sight of it made me sick with fear. A sudden realization filled my mind and I wanted to be anywhere but there at that instant.

This room was _his _room. It was the place he called home in this disturbing little town. It was his territory and I was intruding. And the doorknob was slowly starting to turn.

…

**Oh, boy. Do you think Pyramid Head is going to show up? I'm the only one who knows the answer to that! You readers will have to wait for the next chapter to find out. But if I were him, I'd be very afraid right now...remember to review and I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible! **


	12. Flesh Wounds

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill series at all. Those games belong to Konami. **

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys! It means a lot to me that the readers out there are enjoying my story! I hope you continue to read and enjoy the next chapter just as much. **

**Chapter 12: Flesh Wounds **

The doorknob twisted and turned slowly, each second making my pulse quicken. The gun suddenly felt heavy in my hands and more than once my eyes strayed to the ten foot long knife on the table. If it came to being attacked by that Pyramid Head, I would at least try to use it against him. If I could lift the thing, that is.

With a sharp click, the knob stopped turning and the door creaked open. Raising my gun, I prepared to face the executioner in his own lair. _This is it…_The door gently opened to reveal an empty hallway. _What? _Concerned that this might be a trap, I kept my guard up a little bit longer, expecting the monster to appear from around the corner.

Seconds passed and then minutes; no monster came into view. My palms were sweating as they gripped the gun, and—not for the first time—I questioned my sanity. Maybe it had been the wind. It would have been a plausible excuse if there had been any wind. This room had to be miles underground, very far from any chance of wind.

Glancing once more at the massive, bloody knife left on the table, I decided I couldn't stay in this room forever, especially if that thing returned. Out in the hallway, there was only silence. It wasn't comforting at all; in fact, it made me more paranoid and I began jumping every time I came to a corner. Following the dark corridor, I found the metal ladder and climbed as fast I could to escape.

Retracing my steps in the labyrinth, I discovered a path that I had missed before. It was strange; I couldn't ever remember seeing it there and I figured it would have been crazy to just walk past it. But, it couldn't have appeared out of nowhere…could it? It was too hard to tell, what with the dangerous and unexpected twists in this town.

There was another metal ladder at the end of the short hallway. I hesitated, thinking about Pyramid Head's lair. What if he was down there, waiting? _I have no choice. I have to do this,_ I managed to convince myself. The overwhelming stench of sewage water invaded my nose as I lowered myself into the tunnel below. _How many sewers are in this place? _

Unlike the first sewer, this one contained more space for me to walk and the level of water was shallower. However, this was like another underground labyrinth on its own; already I could see at least four different pathways ahead of me. The crackle of my radio picked up something in the darkness. From where I was standing, I could just make out the outline of a monster, stumbling awkwardly towards me. Its gruesome head swung this way and that while the hole in the center of its body dripped with oozing acid. Hurriedly, I shot three shotgun shells into its body, causing it to fall forward on its face in the water. One last kick and it was still as death. _Every time I come across one of those things, the act of killing bothers me less and less…_It was a disturbing thought, but I chose not to waste time thinking about it.

Moving past the lifeless body, I turned down the first pathway I came to and hoped it was the right one. It wasn't.

Running, I almost collided with Pyramid Head, who seemed to be patrolling these pathways. His back was facing me and I skidded to a stop inches from his blood-drenched body. Hearing my sudden halt, he spun to face me, his metal pyramid helmet pointing threateningly down near my face. _Oh, hell. _Gasping, I whirled around and ran faster than I had ever run in my life.

A sharp pain spread through my shoulder as Pyramid Head's spear jabbed through my skin. The hot sensation of blood seeped through my jacket and I forced my body to move faster, my breath becoming rapid. Pyramid Head's footsteps were close behind, the tip of his spear whizzing past my ear. _Oh, God. Where's the ladder? _

Hastily, I turned the corner and realized the metal ladder was no longer there. It was only a bare wall of dirt with dim light shining through the hole in the ceiling. Another sting of intense pain shot through the middle of my back as the spear dug deep, staying there for a minute before it was torn out of my fresh wound. I actually saw stars dancing behind my eyelids as the room swayed.

Once I overcame the dizziness, I noticed a silver ladder at the end of this long pathway. Dashing for it—my legs feeling like Jell-O the whole time—I reached it before Pyramid Head had another good chance to strike me down. If he did, I'd probably die down here, alone in this town. Luckily, I leaped up the rungs of the ladder with Pyramid Head left behind with his deadly spear.

….

Screams. I could hear them through the wooden door in front of me, as clear as if they were coming from directly next to my ear. My head was spinning with nausea and my wounds were throbbing painfully. Blood was trickling down my back and my shoulder. The screams came again and it sounded a little like Angela. But what would she be doing in this labyrinth?

"No, please! Please, don't!" Her voice was pleading desperately. Opening the door, I discovered that it led to another small hallway. The crying was coming from a room to my right. Newspapers were scattered over the floor and one article in particular caught my eye. It reported the death of a man named Orosco, supposedly murdered with stab wounds all over his body. It also mentioned that he had left behind a family, particularly a daughter by the name of Angela. _Angela? Could this be her father? _Drops of blood and ink blocked out the rest.

"No, Daddy, don't!" My head snapped up and focused on the nearest door. Who was Angela talking to? There was only one way to find out. Placing a hand on the rusty doorknob, I turned the handle just as Angela screamed with all her might.

…

**Even though this chapter is kind of short, I'm going to stop it there. Don't worry; I'll update quickly. How did you guys like it? Up next is Angela and her Abstract Daddy. Oh, how messed up Angela is, but then who could blame her? Until next time, readers! Don't forget to review! **


	13. Angela's Abstract Daddy

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill series or anything related to it. **

**Chapter 13: Angela's Abstract Daddy**

Angela's screams and cries filled my ears as the door creaked open. It looked like a twisted version of a family living room. The wallpaper was hidden behind grime and gore. A television set stood along one wall, static appearing on the screen. Angela was there, curled up on the ground with her head against the red fabric of her legs. Her body was convulsing violently, sobs escaping from somewhere in her throat. _Oh, my God…_

A mattress-shaped creature was hovering near her, its brown-black body attempting to swallow her from view. Squinting, I could just make out what looked to be like two writhing figures on the creature's middle. The thing lifted its body onto its two back legs and was about to leap onto Angela. With a deafening blast, I unloaded half a round of bullets into the creature. My last bullet missed, but the rest seemed to have caused it a little bit of pain.

_Oh, great. Good going James, _I thought as the creature spun towards me, knocking me aside with the front of its box-like body. Angela screeched and held her hands over her ears as if she couldn't bear to hear the struggle. The creature rushed at me, its thick black tongue lapping at a lipless mouth. Panicking, I emptied the rest of my bullets into it and collided against the wall behind me.

This creature was far from done yet. With a fast lurch, it covered my legs with its body and dragged me across the floor. The feeling of its slimy, moldy skin against my legs was just…wrong. Angela yelped as the thing cornered her with me in tow.

Before I knew what was happening, she had gotten to her feet, raced over to the television, and picked it up with all her strength. In one quick move, she smashed the entire television down on the creature's body, paralyzing it. Frantically, she kicked at it and swore at it until she was out of breath. The body was still and lifeless and at last I could crawl out from underneath it. _It just gets better and better around here, doesn't it? _

Angela was staring at me in an odd way. I had expected her to thank me, but instead she appeared as though she didn't trust me or want to get too close. Impulsively, she kicked the creature again furiously.

"Angela, relax," I soothed her, holding a hand out to her. She whipped around and glared at me, her eyes filled with anger.

"Don't order me around," she yelled shrilly. Unsure of what she might do, I backed off.

"I wasn't trying to order you," I assured her. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and a smirk appeared on her face.

"So, what do you want then? Oh, I see now. You're trying to be nice to me, right? I know what you're up to! It's always the same. You're only after one thing," she accused in a bitter tone. Revulsion spread through me when I interpreted what she was implying. I was beginning to think there was something seriously wrong with this young woman.

"No, that's not true at all," I defended myself, but she barely gave me the chance. She kneeled down to the ground, her hands curled around her waist as if she were ready to throw up.

"Don't lie! Go ahead and say it," she lashed out, her mouth twisted in a cruel and unimaginable way. "Or you could force me. Beat me up like he always did." More sobs shook Angela's body and she started to dry heave, her face inches from the ground. "You disgusting pig," she yelled. Sympathy washed over me as I witnessed this, completely unable to find appropriate words. Bending down, I placed a hand close to her shoulder to calm her. The result was the opposite.

"_Don't touch me!_ You make me sick!" Jumping to my feet, I stepped back slowly, giving Angela the space she wanted. Within seconds, her cries stopped and she glared at me, a new understanding in her eyes. "You said your wife Mary was dead, right?" It sounded like she was mocking me and I was hesitant to respond.

"Yes…she was ill," I explained with a voice that was incapable of leaving out the emotion and pain I felt over losing Mary. Even now, I couldn't imagine a happy life without her. Angela appeared dubious about the explanation I had given her.

"Liar! I know about you. You didn't want her around anymore. You probably found someone else," she said, turning away. Angela did not look back at me; she just stalked out of the room and closed it behind her. Her words echoed in the room, haunting me.

"That's ridiculous…I'd never," the response left my lips without my meaning to. The image of Maria entered my head. She reminded me so much of Mary, yet she was so different…_but she's gone now, so there's no use wanting her. _When I emerged from the room, Angela was nowhere in sight. _Where could she have gone in a place like this? I just hope Pyramid Head doesn't find her…_

Continuing down the hallway, I spotted a room to my left. The door was unlocked and it opened easily in my hand. It was a good-sized gray room with an empty white room just beyond it. In the center was a gigantic block surrounded by barbed wire. On each face of the block was a strange engraved face, the eyes encrusted with colored jewels. Out of curiosity, I spun the block on its axis, causing it to make a gravelly sound as it rotated. When I turned the block so that one face—this one with orange jeweled eyes—was upside down, a sharp click sounded from behind me.

The seemingly empty white room now contained a hidden doorway with steep stairs leading downward into a basement of some sort. A musty smell filled my nostrils; it smelled like something had died. Taking one step at a time, I descended into the basement, not knowing what to expect.

At the bottom of the staircase was a small room. It was actually a prison with a set of steel bars stretching from the ceiling to the floor. A wooden stool was placed outside the bars, for visitors I supposed. Though I'm pretty sure visitors here were overly scarce. Behind the bars was a thin, stained bed and another doorway. A separate chair was close to the bars and the person sitting there, gazing at me with eyes full of life, was a person I thought I'd never see again.

…

**Short chapter, I know. But I promise to make the next one longer. Isn't Angela just wonderful company? Next time it'll be the return of Maria! (= Keep on reading guys! My story wouldn't have gotten this far without you! **


	14. Reliving Death

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill franchise or any of the characters, places, or ideas related to it. **

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I hope you're enjoying my story and it's coming to an end soon. Which ending do you guys want me to put into this story? Only time will tell. By the way, I made a reference to Silent Hill 3 in this chapter so let's see if you can find it (it's actually pretty easy to spot). **

**Chapter 14: Reliving Death**

Maria was alive. I wasn't sure how, but she was there sitting behind the bars and smiling at me like she usually did. There wasn't a single tear in her clothing, not a bloodstain on her skin, not even a tangled piece of hair on her head. She looked exactly the way she had when I first saw her—unharmed, serene, and beautiful, just like Mary. _It can't be true…I watched her die! I heard her screams and saw the blood! _

"Maria…you're alive! I thought that thing killed you! Are you hurt bad?" The words rushed out of my mouth almost in one breath. Despite the fact that Maria seemed to be content and painless, it bothered too much not to ask. Her thin-lipped smile extended and she gazed at me as if I were being ridiculous.

"Not at all, silly," she laughed, crossing one leg over the other. Maria was so calm, like she was simply having lunch with an old friend instead of being trapped behind bars after being killed. Confusion overwhelmed me as I tried to piece this whole scene together.

"Maria…? That monster—"

"James, honey…they actually look like monster to you? That's strange…" Maria's voice trailed off, leaving me to ponder. Her question was startling. What did she mean by that?

"Why wouldn't they? You even said it yourself when we met that there were monsters in this town. And that thing…it stabbed you! There was blood everywhere!" My voice rose as I attempted to make her see sense. Or was it she that was trying to get through to me? I had no clue anymore. It appeared we were no longer on the same page.

"Stabbed me? What do you mean?" Her smile slipped a bit and she looked like she was deeply considering my words. There was something different about her. Something wasn't right, but I couldn't yet put my finger on the source of it.

"It chased us to the elevator! And then…just before! Don't you remember?" Maria was puzzled; her eyes had a gleam in them and she tilted her head as if wondering what I was talking about.

"James, honey…did something happen to you? After we got separated in that long hallway? Are you confusing me with someone else?" Maria laughed again, her soft voice echoing around the room. This was Maria, wasn't it? It had to be her. Then, why was she so different? "You were always so forgetful. Remember that time in the hotel?"

"Maria…" I couldn't tell her all the things I was thinking. It sounded like Maria and looked like Maria, but her behavior was that of a stranger. She wasn't the wild, knowing woman I had gotten to know and it scared me. She went on as if she hadn't heard me.

"You said you took everything…but you forgot that videotape we made. I wonder if it's still there…" Maria tilted her head and stared thoughtfully at a space on the floor. For a second, her eyes became darker and I felt her slipping away from me.

"How do you know that? Aren't you Maria?" I had jumped up from the wooden stool I was sitting on and I was gazing down at her, studying her for any more differences I may have missed. A strike of perceptiveness re-entered Maria's eyes and she smirked at me, leaning back in her chair.

"I'm not your Mary," she retorted in a snide voice. Who was she? If she wasn't Mary then…

"So you're Maria," I guessed, trying to put it together. That provocative smile curled her lips and she stretched further in her chair so that every curve of her body was exposed.

"I am…if you want me to be," she replied. It didn't help at all; it only served to confuse me more. I was quickly losing my patience with her.

"All I want from you is an answer," I demanded, slamming my palms against the cold steel bars. Like lightning, she was standing in front of me behind the bars. Reaching a hand through the bars, she let her fingers brush my face.

"It doesn't matter who I am. I'm here for you, James. See? I'm real. Don't you want to touch me?" Her fingers slid down towards me neck and that wicked smile of hers was locked into place. None of it was making sense and sudden hesitation stopped me from responding to her.

"I don't know…" What part of this was I missing? Maria was so different and abnormal…I wasn't sure if I wanted her anymore. Pulling her hand away, she slinked back to the chair and returned to her cross-legged position. It was as if the conversation never happened.

"Come and get me," she urged me. "I can't do anything behind these bars." She gestured to the room around her as if to emphasize her point. Even though my instincts were telling me to leave, I couldn't without taking her with me, without making sure she was safe.

"Okay. Stay right there. I'll be there soon," I promised. Maria dipped her head in a nod and watched me as I left her behind. _Only for a little while…then the two of us will get out of this place._

…

In the room with the stone, jeweled block, there was a power box. The small door was open, revealing many colored wires and switches. Connected to one broken wire was a wire cutter, though it certainly hadn't been there before. The electricity inside the box crackled dangerously as I removed the wire cutter. _Now I can get through that other doorway…the one blocked by wires. _

Retracing my steps was difficult. When I reached the metal ladders, I hesitated while imagining that Pyramid Head down there, waiting for me. Eventually—though I didn't know how long-I got the courage to descend the ladders. To my relief, Pyramid Head wasn't anywhere in sight. _At least for now…_

Through the sewers and hallways I went until I found my way back to that first hallway. The wires glinted in the light of my flashlight as I approached it. Carefully, I used the wire cutter to remove each wire one at a time. The only thing I could think of was Maria, down in the prison all alone. _I need to get to her! Please, let this be the way to her! _

Once the wires were clear, I was able to finally enter the doorway. Directly in front of me was another ladder. Beside it was an old bronze key on a ring. Curiously, I picked it up, examined it and then tucked it into my pocket. _You never know…it might be useful. _

It took me a couple minutes to convince myself that I needed to descend that ladder, if only for Maria's sake. There was no chance that Pyramid Head would be down there, right? The door was blocked by wires, after all. Taking one step at a time, I used the ladder and dropped down into the sewers. It was a short hallway with only one other turn that was blocked by a locked gate. A pale door was located at the very end and my heart was beating fast as I twisted the handle. _Locked…but I have a key. _

Inserting the rusted key into the lock, I shifted it this way and that until I heard a distinct click. The door eased open and this time I was behind the bars myself. My breath halted in my throat as I witnessed the sight that lay before me.

Maria was dead. Her body was lying on the thin mattress, soaked in blood. A trail of red blood was covering the floor, from the mattress to the door. The bed was drenched in her blood and she was no longer the perfect Maria I had seen only minutes before. Her lips were no longer smiling warmly; instead, they were set into a deep frown of pain. Her eyes were closed and the left side of her face was broken, as if something had beaten her until her bones smashed to pieces. It was the most gruesome thing I had ever seen.

_Maria…Oh, God not again. I can't lose you again. What could have done this? It was that thing…that Pyramid Head, wasn't it? Oh, why did this have to happen to you? What does he want? Maria…_No words came from my mouth. I was unable to speak, unable to imagine the details of this grisly discovery. Leaning down to her, I laid my elbows against the bed and dropped my head into my hands.

"Mary…" It was the only word I could say. It was like losing her all over again and it pierced my heart. I don't know how long I stayed like that, mourning for both my dead wife and Maria. In my mind, I could have stayed there forever until that thing came for me. Somehow, I had raised myself to my feet and exited the room for the last time, though I didn't remember doing it. There was too much pain in there, too much loss. For the second time in a row, I had lost Maria.

…

**Awww…poor James. Oh, well. That's what happens in Silent Hill. So, what did you guys think? Hopefully, I'll find the time to update the next chapter quickly. Remember: review, review, review! **

**By the way, did you catch the SH3 reference? (=**


	15. Eddie Gone Nuts

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill franchise at all. Konami does. **

**A/N: Well, this story is getting closer and closer to the end…by the way, which ending do you guys think I should include? I'd love to hear your opinion on it. (= I hope the readers continue to enjoy the story. **

**Chapter 15: Eddie Gone Nuts**

_Maria is dead and I could not save her. I failed her a second time. _That thought haunted me as I left her body behind and traveled through the sewers once more. How many times would I have to endure her death and for what reason? _It was Pyramid Head, I'm sure of it. _

As I walked absently through the tunnel, I only half registered that the previously locked gate was now open wide, as though someone had passed through it not too long ago. I could only imagine that monster calmly stalking through the tunnels, searching for me. _He won't find me. And if he does, I'll just have to be ready. _

Stepping through the gate, I felt a chill crawl across my skin. A breeze was reaching for me, flowing right through my clothes and brushing invisible fingers along my spine. A ladder was at the end of the short tunnel and the breeze seemed to be coming from somewhere above. Hope filled me as I dared to think that I would be standing in the open air outside soon. _Could it be? Does this lead to outside? _

Eagerly, I climbed the ladder, all too aware of how stifling hot it was in these tunnels. Sweat dripped down my forehead as I ascended and I paused to wipe it away with the back of my hand.

My hopes diminished as I saw what was waiting for me. I wasn't outside, so to speak. There was a cemetery, with rows of gravestones and fresh dirt covering the tombs. Most of the graves dated back a long time and the names had faded. As I passed them, I took the time to make out some of the names engraved. One was for Walter Sullivan and it sounded familiar to me. _Of course, it was in the newspaper. He was the murderer who supposedly killed himself. What the hell is his grave doing here? _

Another gravestone was engraved with the name "Miriam" and underneath that "traitor." It was unsettling to view the graves, especially since the people seemed to have been buried recently. The dirt was still soft as I crossed it and for a minute I wondered if I would fall through and land on their caskets below. It was a strange thought, but it was there.

In the corner were three graves that had yet to be filled with their rightful bodies. The graves were dug out, waiting for a casket. The stones were easy to read and not as old as the others. When I approached them and read them, my stomach plummeted and fear loomed over me. _Angela Orosco…Eddie Dumbrowsky and…James Sunderland._

My name was deeply written on the last grave and reading it sent my heart into spasms. I half expected Pyramid Head to be lurking somewhere nearby, ready to finish whatever deed he was trying to fulfill. Bending forward, I allowed my fingers to trace over my name. _This..this is my grave…_

The hole in front of it was much deeper than the others and I could almost see a staircase below. _What is a staircase doing in a grave? _ Despite my confusion, I lowered my body into my grave—it was the most fearsome thing in the world—and felt my feet touch the edge of the stairs. Staring up at the endless space above my head, I waited to see if the monster would appear. Perhaps he would shovel dirt on top of my head and bury me alive down here.

Taking the stairs one step at a time, I found myself in a hallway, with a gray door at the very end. Fog clouded my vision and the dirt occasionally crumbled in a few spots. _I just hope this place doesn't cave in…_

Nearly running, I started for the door and my mind raced with images of what could be behind it. Another grave? Hell itself? Was Mary down here waiting for me to join her? As I ran, the fog increased and almost choked me. The walls changed; first they were a normal sodden type and then the color shifted into a deep, burning red. It almost felt like I was making my down into Hell. _Mary…if you're here, then why this place? Why is this happening to me? _

Beyond the door was something I had never considered. It was a meat room, with packages of meat stacked along one wall. On the floor were a couple of dead bodies, the blood spilling from numerous wounds and chilling to the floor. It was freezing and I shivered, rubbing my hands against my arms for warmth. In front of me, Eddie stood with a mad smile on his face. _Eddie? What could he be doing here? _

His eyes were shining with utter madness and he held a gun in his hand, the one he used on the guy in the prison. As he noticed me, he smiled widely and gestured the gun in my direction. _Silent Hill has already taken a toll on him. He's completely insane, isn't he? _

"Eddie, what are you doing!" I exclaimed at him, unable to hold in my surprise. Eddie just laughed and kicked the closest body, the man's head swinging limply with the impact.

"What does it look like? He's always busted my balls! 'You make me sick!' 'You're nothing but a waste of skin!' 'You're so ugly even your mama don't love you,'" Eddie mimicked in a harsh tone. "Well, maybe he was right. But you know what? It doesn't matter if you're dumb, ugly, or pretty…it doesn't matter when you're dead. And a corpse can't laugh. From now on, if anyone makes fun of me, I'll…I'll kill them! Just like that," he stated, aiming the trigger at one of the meat stacks and pulling the trigger. The bullet smashed through the meat, tearing it to shreds. _Oh, God, Eddie…what happened to you? _

Apparently finished talking, Eddie turned and pulled open the door to the next room. I was still in disbelief. This wasn't the person I met in the apartments or the man who ate pizza while the monsters roamed the town.

"Eddie, have you gone nuts?" Bending, I examined one of the dead bodies and noticed that the man recently died. A gory bullet hole was in the center of his head, but his clothes were drenched as if he had been shot more than once. Eddie turned and glared at me with hatred.

"I knew it," he accused me, holding the gun in front of him like he was afraid I would attack him. It seemed he was incredibly unstable and I wasn't entirely sure what he was capable of now. "You, too! You're just like them, James!" Desperately, I tried to calm Eddie down, hoping I didn't get shot in the process.

"Hey, I didn't mean anything," I explained, but Eddie waved off my words, swinging the pistol around in a crazy manner.

"Don't bother. You've been laughing at me all along, haven't you? Ever since we first met. I'll kill you, James," he said calmly, as if he were ordering a burger at a restaurant. It scared me to hear him talking like that; it showed he was really as far gone as I had thought. Suddenly, Eddie raised the pistol and I moved before a bullet could strike where I had just been crouching.

"Eddie, don't do this," I pleaded with him, but it was too late. Eddie didn't show any signs of hearing me or caring about my words. Aiming the pistol again, he shot off another bullet and it whizzed past my ear as I slid to the left. In an attempt to stop him, I lifted the shotgun and a bullet exploded past Eddie, who jumped about five feet in the air. A fearful expression crossed his face and then he was stumbling through the door, into the next room.

Sighing, I followed, not sure what I should be expecting. The next room was another meat locker with rows of animal carcasses hanging from hooks in the ceiling. Blood rolled off the carcasses and dripped repeatedly on the floor. Eddie's voice called out, but it was difficult to place where he was.

"Do you know what it does to you, James? When you're hated, picked on, just because of the way you look? After you've been laughed at your whole life. That's why I ran away after I killed that dog!" Staring at Eddie, I thought he would become worse and worse every minute. _Eddie, no…don't let this town do that to you!_

"Eddie…" I tried to tell him all that I was thinking, but he wasn't listening.

"Yeah, that's right! I killed the dog and it was fun! It tried to chew its own guts out! Finally it died all curled up in a ball. Then 'he' came after me and I shot him, too. Right in the leg. He cried more than the dog!" It was maddening listening to Eddie and my stomach churned with every word. It was only good that I hadn't eaten anything lately or I might have thrown up. A loud crash came from behind me and I spun with my gun raised. The door had slammed shut, locking me in with Eddie.

"Eddie, you think it's okay to kill people? You need help!" My voice rose as I pushed to get through to Eddie. A part of me knew it was useless, but I had to take the chance. Another part of me was considering the words I had just said and a faraway memory started to come into focus. Something about Mary….it was gone before I could reach it.

"Don't get all holy on me, James. This town called you, too! You and me are the same. We're not like other people. Don't you know that?" Footsteps moved somewhere behind me and there was Eddie, standing a few feet away with his pistol ready. "Let's party," he said before pulling the trigger. The bullet hit my left arm and I yelled in pain. Blood oozed through the cloth of my jacket and it was a struggle to hold up the shotgun.

"Eddie, no!" Frantically, I hid behind one of the enormous carcasses and reloaded the shotgun. It was too quiet as I did this. When I looked around the carcass, Eddie was no longer in sight. A click came from ahead and Eddie was standing beside another of the animal carcasses, pointing the gun straight at me.

Quickly, I moved as the bullet passed into the carcass I had been hiding behind. Instinctively, I weakly aimed the shotgun and fired. A cry of pain erupted and Eddie kneeled down on the ground, clutching the space over his chest. Red stained his shirt and his eyes rolled back into his head. The pistol slid from his hand and clattered to the floor as his body dropped forward.

"Eddie," I called his name, but there was no answer. His body was lifeless and there was no sign that he was breathing. Carefully, I nudged his shoulder with my shoe. "Oh, God…Eddie! I…I killed a…a human being! A human being…"

At the sound of those words leaving my mouth, that old memory resurfaced and this time I got a better look at it. Mary was lying in her bed at home, suffering as she had. A calendar was placed on the bedside table and it marked three years after she had actually died. How was that possible?

"Mary…Did you really die three years ago?" It was a question I could no longer answer with certainty. Was Mary really here, waiting for me? Was she there at the hotel? The thick silence in my mind bugged me and I knew that only time would reveal the answers.

…..

**Well, Eddie's dead…he did go a little insane there. Next time it will be the hotel and maybe a surprise when James rows the boat across the lake. (= You'll see what I mean when I update. And I will update soon!**


	16. Crossing the Lake

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill series or anything in relation to it. In fact, I own absolutely nothing while writing this story. **

**A/N: First off, I want to kind of thank every reader who is reading this (I don't think I acknowledged that lately). If it weren't for the readers, I don't think this story would exist. So on to the next chapter, where James makes his way to the hotel. **

**Chapter 16: Crossing the Lake**

It was no longer abnormally dark outside. The whisper of the fog and the droplets of rain felt good on my face as I emerged from the meat room. It still shocked me how I could have so easily killed Eddie, another human being. _I'm sorry, Eddie…but it was for your own good. _

I was standing on a dock and to the right I could just see the lookout area of the park where Maria and I had met. _Maria…no, that's the past. The only thing that matters now is finding Mary. _There was a boat tied to the dock, bobbing in the water. In the distance was a shining light, like that of a lighthouse.

_There was a lighthouse near the hotel, I remember. I'll have to follow that light, _I realized as I lowered myself into the tiny boat. The only time I had actually controlled a boat was when I was a young boy, fishing with my father. It had been a long time, but all of it resurfaced as I took the oars in my hands.

Looking over my shoulder to make sure I was going the right way, I began rowing towards the hotel. It was a fairly smooth ride; I used my strength to propel the oars through the water and soon I fell into a rhythmic pattern. The grayish water rushed past, the calm waves lurching against the side of the boat. It wasn't until I reached the middle of the lake that I felt something change.

Something crashed into the side of the boat and the boat rocked dangerously. Gripping onto the oars, I scanned the water, wondering if a shark or something might be down there. _No, this is a lake. What could possibly be down there? _Another collision and the boat almost flipped over entirely.

"What the hell?" I voiced my confusion. Frantically, I began rowing again and searching for the outline of the hotel. All I could see was the small beam of light, my only guidance. Then, something grabbed onto one of the oars and was pulling it down into the depths of the water. Roughly I pulled it back and the oar lifted out of the water. Hanging onto the end was a skeleton, its eyes gouged out and its bones black with age. Its mouth was hanging open and—to my horror—it screeched at me.

Afraid, I dropped the oar into the water and it disappeared. The skeleton clung to the edge of the boat and began trying to climb aboard. Its bony fingers were reaching for my throat. Desperately, I connected the other oar with its face and the skeleton fell back into the water. I was breathing heavily and I waited to see if it would resurface. _What the hell was that? Could there be more? _

As if answering my question, about twenty skeleton heads broke to surface around the boat, their hands clawing the sides and swamping me. Their toothless mouths hung open and many of them stayed below the boat, hoping to knock it over. I knew that if I fell into the water, they would drown me.

One by one, I hit them with my remaining oar. My shotgun was on the seat in front of me, but I didn't want to risk losing the other oar. Carefully, I moved the oar around in the water, pushing to make my way to the hotel. _Come on…just a little farther! Where's the light? _

Spinning my head around, I caught sight of the light just ahead. The skeletons were rocking the boat and it was a struggle for me to start rowing. One of the skeletons gripped my arm tightly and I plunged the oar into its skull. It vanished into the lake, screaming all the way.

"Go to hell," I yelled as I slammed the oar into another one that was trying to get the shotgun. Turning back towards the light, I saw the outline of the hotel and I began rowing with new hope. Just as the dock came into view, the skeletons appeared to gang up together and repeatedly knocked the side of the ship. Eventually, I fell to one side and the ship was like a mini version of the _Titanic_; it lifted straight into the air, stayed still for a moment, and then flipped over.

The water seemed to force me down as I tried to find the surface. Dozens of skeletons swarmed me all at once. Some grabbed ahold of my hair, pushing me downwards while others dragged me by my legs. My lungs screamed as the light faded and the darkness of the depths swallowed me. I knew that I would have to breathe soon and I didn't want to be underwater when I did.

The skeletons formed an army and drowned me bit by bit. A couple of them gnawed at my skin. Others scratched at my face and I figured they were attempting to gouge out my eyes just like theirs. Suddenly, my lungs couldn't take it anymore. Desiring the air, I reflexively opened my mouth and lake water filled my lungs. The need to breathe was overwhelming and now I was choking on the water. It rushed through my throat and the world began to dim.

In one last attempt, I lunged at most of the skeletons and pummeled them with my fists. One skeleton's head flew off his shoulders and the others backed off, afraid of having the same fate. Desperately, I kicked my feet and aimed for the surface—even though I wasn't sure which way was up anymore.

My head broke the surface right next to the dock. As the skeletons refocused and grabbed for my ankles again, I lifted my body onto the dock and away from the lake water. The skeletons dove back under the water, probably realizing they had lost the battle. My heart feared for anyone else who tried to cross the lake.

My lungs ached as I coughed up the lake water and took deep breaths of air. My heart was pounding in my chest like a hammer. In the back of my mind, it occurred to me that I had no weapon but I didn't care at that moment. I was just grateful to be alive.

After my breathing slowed to normal, I stood up on shaky legs and studied the hotel. It was like being thrown back into the past; the hotel was just as I remembered it. _It hasn't changed in three years._ Steadying myself, I approached the hotel entrance and prayed that Mary was waiting.

…

**That was different, wasn't it? I got the idea from a memo (I think it's in the hospital or maybe the historical society) where it talks about hands reaching up in the lake. It said something similar to that (I can't remember it) but it inspired me to include the lake skeletons in this chapter. Imagine going through that in the game, huh? (= **

**Reviews are loved, of course! They inspire me and give me the motivation I need to continue my story. Until next time, readers!**


	17. Not Alone

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill whatsoever. Konami does. In other words, I do not James Sunderland, Laura, or anything else related to this series. **

**A/N: It's been a while since I updated. Since then, I've started a new story and I've been working on my other Silent Hill story (feel free to check it out). But now I'm back and this one is coming close to an end. As always, I'd like to give a shout out to those who are reading—thank you for your support and interest. (= Now, enjoy the next chapter. **

**And did anyone else notice the new layout of fanfic or is it just me? I went on and it was so strange! **

**Chapter 17: Not Alone **

Distant memories flooded my brain as I climbed the stone steps of the hotel. An iron gate blocked off the grounds, but I easily slid my arm through the bars and lifted the latch that locked the gate. Slowly, the gate creaked open, sounding a lot like Pyramid Head when he was dragging around that giant knife of his. Instantly, I pictured him in that painting, the caged bodies hanging from the ceiling on Judgment Day. _Stop it, James_, I scolded myself. _Pyramid Head isn't here. There's no possible way he could have crossed the lake. Focus on the task at hand…_

As I entered the courtyard, a musical melody reached my ears. It sounded awfully familiar—like a childhood memory that refused to come within arm's reach. After a few seconds of thinking, I recognized it as the song "Part of Your World" from the Little Mermaid. In any other setting, it would have sounded childish and silly, something to laugh about. However, combined with the horrors I had seen, it just seemed haunting and wrong. It was coming from the far right, even though all I could see was a gray fountain.

The grass crunched underneath my feet as I walked across the yard, weeds spouting up in every direction. _A-ha,_ I thought as I approached the fountain. Sitting there on the base was a small music box, playing the Disney song. On the cover was the figure of a mermaid with long red hair, reclining on a stone. _Hmm…could it belong to Laura maybe? _I closed the music box and the song abruptly ended, the last few notes hanging in the air.

The eeriness of being alone in this town had never left me. It always felt as though someone were watching me, but there was no one there when I looked around. Instinctively, I glanced up towards one of the windows—I figured it was the third floor—and a shadow slid across the curtains. Mary's face filled my mind and, for the umpteenth time that day, I wondered…_Could she really be here? Is she waiting for me? _

I practically ran to the entrance of the hotel; I had to know if it was really her. Inside, it was really dark and it took a minute for my eyes to adjust. On a bulletin board nearby was a map of the hotel, pinned down and yellow with age. I tore it down, pocketing it just in case I needed it later.

It was deadly quiet in the halls—so quiet, you could probably hear a pin drop. Checking the map, I scanned the first floor level. My stomach grumbled insistently as I located the restaurant just around the corner. _I guess I could see if they have anything to eat. The last time I had food was…a couple hours before I arrived in Silent Hill_, I recalled. I remembered pulling into a gas station and purchasing a couple sandwiches. They didn't last very long; only about twenty minutes.

At first the door to the restaurant wouldn't budge. It was like something was pushing against the other side, trying to keep me out. Taking a few steps backwards, I shoved the door with all my weight and the pressure vanished. The door flew open, causing me to nearly topple over.

The restaurant was arranged in an orderly fashion; the tables had clean white tablecloths and unlit candles, a piano was positioned in the corner awaiting a pianist to play a melody, and only a thin layer of dust had settled. The wooden floor creaked under my shoes as I moved into the room. Light filtered in through a bay window, the naturally red curtains faded with a bit of thread hanging off at the ends.

The only thing that was missing was food. The kitchen was empty and everything else was spoiled. The only table that had a silver food tray was one in the middle of the room. Lifting up the top of the tray, I found a small key shaped like a fish. It was a strange key, but I took it anyway. It jangled as I slipped it into my pocket.

From the corner of the room, a small footstep made the floor creak. I spun, searching for the source of the noise. Out of nowhere, a few of the piano keys sent out a stream of sharp notes, matched only by my jumpy nerves. It hadn't been my imagination; I was not alone.

…..

**Sorry for the really short chapter! The next one will be longer and will include Laura. I hope everyone keeps on reading. **


	18. Laura Plays the Piano

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill series. I have no claims over James or Laura. The only thing I own is my laptop, that's it. **

**Chapter 18: Laura Plays the Piano**

"Did I scare you?" Hidden behind the piano was Laura, a childish grin lighting up her face as she poked her head over the edge of the piano. My nerves began to relax as I realized it had only been her hitting the keys. How long had she been there? How did she even get to the hotel safely? Her blue eyes were staring at me, waiting for a response.

"Yeah, you did," I admitted in a tired voice. Laura giggled at the knowledge that she had spooked me. She could never know the real reason why I was so unnerved. Laura slid off the bench next to the piano and found a chair near me instead. The kid was practically dragging her feet along and I understood that she must be tired as well.

"You're here to find Mary, aren't you, James?" Her voice was soft and not as irritated as it once had been with me. Slowly, I nodded and prayed she held some key of information that I didn't have. Laura's light hair—pulled back in a ponytail—swung in the air as she leaned towards me. "Well…have you?"

"No. Is that why you're here, too?" Not for the first time, it occurred to me that this was no place for Laura. She had never really told me her reason for being there. If she had any clue about the horrors of this town, then she was the bravest child I had ever met.

"She's here, isn't she?" Laura ignored my question and pressed me instead. Her small face was weary and her mouth was drawn in a frown as she concentrated on my late wife. Was Laura telling the truth? Was she really a friend of Mary's? "If you know where she is, tell me! I'm tired of walking," Laura complained, swinging her feet back and forth.

"I wish I knew," I told her solemnly, shrugging. An expression of disappointment crossed Laura's face as she heard this and suddenly a wave of sympathy filled me, urging me to reach out to her. The little girl could be no older than ten years old and venturing through this place alone.

"But….she said it in her letter," Laura insisted, leaping up from the chair. My eyes found hers and I felt the surprise flowing through me. Laura had mentioned a letter in the hospital, but that had been a trick. Was she tricking me now? I didn't think so.

"What letter?" Gently, I took her by the shoulders and gazed into her bright eyes, yearning for an answer. Laura put a hand inside the pocket of her dress and revealed a piece of paper. Hesitantly, she held it out for me and I studied it without taking it.

"Wanna read it?" Laura pushed the letter into my hand and then moved to the bay window. The glass outside was dripping with water and I watched as it began to downpour. It was a good thing I had gotten inside the hotel. Laura breathed on the glass, making it foggy; she started to draw with her finger. Glancing at the letter in my hand, I prepared to read.

"Don't tell Rachel," Laura spoke from the window, looking over her shoulder at me. Confusion warped my face as I lifted my eyes from the writing.

"Who's Rachel?" I had never heard of her, but maybe she was Laura's guardian or something. It was another strange thing about her; she didn't seem to have anyone to care for her.

"She was our nurse. I took the letter from her locker," Laura admitted, blushing the tiniest bit. Then, she returned to her drawing. Once more I looked down at the letter and recognized Mary's handwriting.

_My dearest Laura, _

_ I am leaving this letter with Rachel to give to you after I'm gone. I'm far away now. In a quiet and beautiful place. Please forgive me for not saying goodbye before I left. Be well, Laura. Don't be too hard on the sisters. And Laura, about James…I know you hate him because you think he isn't nice to me, but please give him a chance. It's true he may be a little surly sometimes and he doesn't laugh much. But, underneath…he's really a sweet person. _

_ Laura, I love you like my very own daughter. If things had worked out differently, I was hoping to adopt you. Happy 8__th__ birthday, Laura! _

_Your friend forever, Mary. _

I reread the letter and couldn't believe it. Laura had been close to Mary, almost like a daughter to her. Mary had actually been ready to adopt her. What stuck out at me though was how Mary had wished Laura a happy birthday. Laura was finishing her drawing of a cat when I gazed up at her.

"Laura? How old are you?" If she said she was eight, then I would know that Mary had never died three years ago. Could I really hope for something like that? Laura stopped drawing and turned to me.

"Um, I turned eight last week," she answered. Laura's birthday had been a week ago. If that was the case, then…

"So Mary couldn't have died three years ago," I voiced my thoughts, wonder taking over my senses. Laura's face scrunched up as she tried to understand what I was saying. "Is this the 'quiet, beautiful place' she was talking about?" Flashing back to my first conversation with Maria, I remembered saying how the hotel had been our 'special place.' Was she here, waiting close by?

"Me and Mary talked a lot about Silent Hill. She showed me all her pictures. She really wanted to come back. That's why I'm here," she explained calmly, finally answering my earlier question. Laura instantly appeared grown up to me, able to handle anything—even the loss of her friend. If I was admitting the truth, Laura was stronger than I could have been at that point.

"Laura…" I tried to tell her these things, everything I was thinking. She wasn't listening or else she hadn't heard me.

"Maybe you'll get it if you see the other letter. The one that Mary…" Laura's voice faded as she reached into her pocket for the other letter. Her eyes grew wide as she frantically searched, but came up empty. "I must have dropped it! I gotta find it," she cried out, running for the restaurant entrance. As she passed, I tried grabbing her wrist, tried making her wait a moment. She slipped out of my grip and flew out the door, gone in a flash.

"Laura!" Hastily, I ran after her, hoping to catch up with her. It was like she had vanished into thin air; she was nowhere in the hallway. I was alone again and I would probably never know what that other letter said. It was at that moment, when I was coping with the fact that Laura was gone, that my radio burst into life for the first time since I stepped into the hotel.

….

**At least this chapter was a little longer. I was listening to "Laura Plays the Piano" while writing this chapter and now I can't get it out of my head! )= Oh, well…Akira Yamaoka is definitely the genius with Silent Hill music. So, which ending do you guys think I should use for my story? **


	19. Weight Allowance:One Person

**Disclaimer: If I were involved with Konami, I would so totally own Silent Hill. But I'm not and I don't. I don't own a single drop of it, except for my own copy of the game that I bought at GameStop. **

**A/N: Almost at the end…and what will happen to James then? Will he leave with Laura or will he find Maria once more? Nobody knows…except me, of course. But which ending do you prefer? **

**The Silent Hill board is extremely…dead. And silent. *crickets chirping* See what I mean? Well, for those of you who are taking the time to read (thank you), James journeys through the hotel in search of Mary…let us see! **

**Chapter 19: Weight Allowance—One Person**

_Laura, where are you? Please be safe_, I prayed silently as I watched the monster approach in the hotel's hallway. It was a box-like creature, a smaller version of Angela's monster. Low to the ground, it squandered past me without even acknowledging me. _That's it? No trying to take a stab at me? _

A second monster dragged its mattress-like body forward, but it too avoided me. Occasionally, they stopped and—like a dog—brought their bodies upwards into the air, as if sniffing for a scent. _Oh, my God…they must be looking for Angela! But she can't possibly be here…can she? _

In the darkness, I moved in the opposite direction, away from the creatures. Carefully, I unfolded my map and studied it. Supposedly, the entrance to the hotel lobby was beside me. There were two matching sets of double doors and I took the closest ones. The door creaked open and I held my breath, wondering if those monsters would come running—or rather, stumbling. No sound came and I slid the doors closed.

The office was to my right, shrouded in shadows. Dust had settled over nearly everything, even the stairs. An old note was waiting on the front desk, mentioning the videotape I had left behind, the one that Maria had talked about. _I don't remember making a videotape, though…maybe if I watch it, it'll come back to me. _

Unfortunately, the videotape was on the first floor, inside the manager's office. The only useful item inside the office in the lobby was a single key to room 312. _Wait…that was the room Mary and I stayed in when we were here. Is she there waiting? Mary, just give me some time…_

Moving out of the office, I was baffled by what I saw in the very center of the room. At the bottom of the wide stairs was a large music machine, made for playing harmonious music. When I turned it on, it omitted a piercing, unruly tune. There were three indentations in the base of it and the Little Mermaid music box was a perfect fit. _One down, two to go. But where do I find them in a place like this? _

Turning away from the music player, I ascended the grand stairs and through the double doors that led to the second floor. It was strangely quiet in the hallway; there were no monsters around, even the ones in search of Angela. Every door was locked, except the cloak room.

Inside, there was an extensive closet filled with a couple old coats that smelled musty. There was nothing inside them besides wrappers, old pieces of candy, and a couple coins. On a shelf nearby was a briefcase, looking as new as ever. A small keyhole locked the case and I suddenly remembered the fish key in my pocket.

Inserting the key into the lock, the case sprung open and banged against the surface of the shelf. Inside was another small music box, this one of Cinderella. A picture of a glass shoe was etched into one side while a woman's delicate face was carved into the top. When I twisted the brass key, it sang a melody. It was "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes," from the Disney movie. It confused me, listening to such timeless melodies, but I stuck it in my pocket anyway. _Mary would have sung along with it. She was always cheery like that, before she became sick. Mary…_

A crowbar was hidden underneath a sheet on the next shelf and I scowled at it. _Well, if I knew there was a crowbar here, I probably would have tried that instead. _It was sturdy and would cause decent damage. An idea popped into my head and I decided to use the crowbar as a weapon. _Now I'm ready for those monsters,_ I thought as I swung the crowbar freely, testing it out.

…

After feeling reassured that I could defend myself, I returned to the hotel lobby. As I had with the first music box, I placed the Cinderella music box into an indentation. The music that came pouring out was still sour, though maybe not as much. Shadows crept along the walls as I examined the last indent. Which Disney princess would occupy that space, I wondered? Jasmine from _Aladdin_? Snow White? Sleeping Beauty? _Only one way to find out…I've got to find that last music box. _

My first thought was that the music box would be on the third floor, since that was the forming pattern. Along the way, I always kept my eyes out for Laura, who seemed to have vanished completely. _Where could a little girl go in an abandoned hotel? _

Cautiously, I gripped my crowbar as I started up the steps to the second floor. From there, a stairway led upwards into the dim level of the third floor. Silence followed me as I crept up the stairs, not letting my guard down for anything. _What if it's in room 312 with Mary? _

That idea was quickly dropped as soon as I reached the top of the stairs. I held the key for room 312, but I did not hold the key for the iron black gate that blocked my way. Frustration flew through me as I grabbed ahold of the gate and shook it violently. _No! It can't be like this! Mary, is this some kind of joke? _

Frantically, I tugged at the gate, but it wouldn't budge an inch. I could see room 312 just behind it, as though taunting me. Ramming my shoulder into the gate, I hoped to knock the gate down. It was no use. _Where's Pyramid Head when you need him? I'll bet he could tear this gate down! _

A shiver of anticipation crawled down my spine as I pictured Pyramid Head, suddenly stomping up the stairs with his knife in tow. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw only darkness. Paranoia swept over me as I imagined a monster bludgeoning me to death right there, with no escape for me. _Scratch what I meant about Pyramid Head. I never want to see him again. _

A minute passed before I was able to get over the notion that Pyramid Head would instantaneously appear. Slowly I descended the stairs and crossed the lobby to the other set of double doors instead. These ones led to the second hallway of rooms on the second floor, but also the employee's section. It included an elevator, a couple locked rooms, and a back room that was slightly open.

Inside the room was a cart filled with cleaning supplies. It was a small room, containing only an elevator. Flicking the light switch on the wall, I realized that the light bulb was blown. The only light was coming from the open elevator, its brightness appealing and tempting. _Hmm…to the first floor it is_, I decided as I stepped into the elevator.

Immediately an alarm rang shrilly and confusion filled me as I tried to understand what was happening. My fingers pressed the buttons, but the car refused to move. The alarm was making my ears throb. A sign above the buttons read: _Weight Allowance-One Person._ It gave me my answer for the alarm, even if I was one person. _It's because of the extra weight I'm carrying around. Like this crowbar for example. _

There was a cupboard just outside the elevator. It was big enough to hold my items; I just hoped my things stayed there. Hastily, I dropped the crowbar, my health drinks and anything else I had in my pockets—even my flashlight and radio. Hesitantly, I moved into the elevator and this time there was no alarm. _Okay, then…_

Pressing the button for the first floor, the doors smoothly slid closed, blocking out the view of my things on the shelf. With a shudder, the car descended and I crashed into the wall behind me. Now all I could do was wait…wait and see what lay ahead for me when I reached the bottom.

….

**Uh-oh. Now James can't see and can't even defend himself. Hmmm…wonder if he's the creative type. /= **

**I did make some small changes in this chapter. For instance, I gave James a crowbar (which I think could be a pretty good weapon). And I reduced some of the mind-numbing running around in the game (walking up the stairs and down the stairs and up to the second floor and through a room to get something else…see?). **

**I hope the people who are reading this are enjoying it. As I said, it gets pretty quiet in this category. *crickets, crickets* As long as someone is happy out there, then I'm happy. (= **


	20. Vulnerable

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill or anything related to it. I do not own James, Mary, Maria, Laura, or anyone else in the story. **

**Chapter 20: Vulnerable **

The elevator car shook violently as it descended. The numbers at the top flickered as they lit up, counting down to the first floor. It felt like they were counting down to my doom instead. For the past few hours—or had it already been a day—I had been comforted with the fact that I held a weapon. Now, my hands were empty and I was utterly vulnerable. _Come on, James,_ I scolded myself. _Just because you no longer have a weapon does not mean you have to give up! _

With a shudder, the elevator stopped, its doors sliding open. There were no working lights on the first floor; only the light from the elevator allowed me to see a few feet ahead. Reluctantly, I stepped out of the elevator and its doors slid closed, leaving me blind.

Reaching my hands out in front of me, I let my fingertips find the wall. I used it as my guide; I kept one hand on the wall at all times. _No big deal. I'll find the office, grab the videotape, and leave before anything bad happens. _

It only took me a few minutes of fumbling around to realize that there was a hallway directly in front of me. Spanning my hands to touch both walls, I began following it. Every time my fingers broke from the wall, I would find a door, slightly indented from the hallway. Almost every one of them was locked, except the last one.

Light pierced my eyes as I threw open the door. Shielding my eyes with my arm for a moment, I moved further into the room, which was actually more of a storage closet. As soon as my eyes adjusted, I noticed a couple shelves filled with supplies such as towels, napkins, sheets, cleaning supplies, and a case of Diet Coke.

Thirsty, I popped the tab of one of them and drank…and instantly spit it out onto the towels. The soda was extremely warm and unpleasant. Grimacing, I replaced the can on the shelf next to a music box. _Wait a minute…well, what do you know? _

It was a Snow White music box with a painted picture of a woman with fair skin and black hair on the side. When I twisted the brass key, it softly played "Someday My Prince Will Come". Stuffing the music box in my pocket, I backed out of the room and stumbled back to the elevator.

From the note in the lobby, I knew the manager's office was down here. The question was…where? In the pitch blackness I staggered until I found a second hallway to the left of the elevator. There was a window on the left wall—my fingers ran across the smooth glass. The blinds were drawn so that I was unable to peer into the room.

It was the manager's office; I realized it as soon as I walked through the door. Plus, there was a gold plate on the door that was illuminated by the light in the office. It appeared as though no one had been inside the office for years; papers scattered the desk, dust had fallen over the furniture, and the metal of the chairs was as cold as ice. _Then why was the light on? _ I wondered about it, but couldn't find an answer.

In the corner was a safe, its door ajar. My curiosity led me to open that safe and I imagined there being something horrific inside, like a person's head or body part. There was nothing of the kind; the videotape was sitting alone in the safe, a white strip of paper reading 'James.' Slowly I took it and held on to it. What was on this tape?

A door right across from the office headed into the stairwell. Suddenly I couldn't wait to retrieve my items and to find Mary. To my disappointment, the only stairs were leading further down, towards another door. _This can't be right! I want to go up, not down! _

Regardless, I passed through the door. It was the first time I encountered a monster while vulnerable and my heart nearly stopped when I saw a creature only a few feet away. It was the kind with two pairs of legs, standing still like a statue. _Or a mannequin,_ I thought, observing its strange plastic-looking skin. Stealthily, I tried opening the door again, but it was jammed somehow. _What the hell? Open up, you stupid door!_ It was no use; I was stuck here.

The Mannequin hadn't moved yet. Cautiously, I tiptoed against the wall, trying not to breathe too loudly. One of its legs twitched as I slid closer to it. A mental image of Maria doing the same thing in the hospital entered my mind and I instantly longed for her. _I just hope I don't sneeze…_

Quietly I sauntered past the Mannequin, so close that I could practically feel its skin rubbing against mine. Just a few more steps and I was past it. With a sudden movement, I ran down the corridor, praying I would find a door somewhere. My breath came in short gasps as I turned down another corridor, this one with an exit. _Yes_, I whooped as I jumped through it and slammed the door behind me.

I was in a bar. Neon lights and signs glowed, flashing nonstop. Bottles of alcohol were stacked behind the counter along with shot glasses. Part of me wanted to swig back some of that alcohol—God knew I deserved it—but I wanted to stay as focused as possible. Alcohol would be the death of me.

Walking around from the back of the counter, I moved past small tables towards the door. Even though this place was reserved and debatably safe, there was no point in staying. _What am I going to do? Drink my problems away? I never did that when I lost Mary and I won't do it now. _

The bar was located in the basement of the hotel; that much was clear when I emerged. Shadows crawled along the walls, twisting strangely as I searched for the stairs. The darkness made me blind again and I bumped into a small table that held a vase of dried flowers. The vase crashed to the floor and my knee throbbed. _Ow, that smarts! _

"_James…"_ A whispery voice called out to me, making me forget my pained knee. Frantically I glanced around, hoping there were no monsters around. It had sounded like Mary almost…or could it be Maria? _No, Maria is dead, James. _

_Yes, but she was dead when we were running from Pyramid Head,_ I argued with myself. _And then she came back, looking good as new. _

_But then she died again,_ the whispery voice continued, pushing doubts into my head. _She's not there, James…_

"Stop it! I've had enough of this place and its sick tricks," I muttered before I spotted the stairs around the corner. Hurriedly I climbed them and found myself next to the lobby doors. Gazing around, I realized that Angela's monsters weren't roaming around anymore. _Maybe they've finally understood that she's not here_, I thought as I entered the lobby.

The music player was standing in the same position as I had left it. Apparently, nothing was going to change anytime soon. As with the previous two music boxes, I clicked the Snow White box into place. Switching the player on, I heard an unfamiliar, haunting melody flow out. The base spun into the machine, taking the music boxes with it. From the other side, a key was sitting on the base. Its tag read "3rd Floor".

_The iron gate on the third floor! Mary, I'm coming! _Like lightning, I shot up those grand stairs to the second floor. I hastily retrieved my things from the employee's section, but all I cared about was reaching room 312 and finding Mary there, waiting for me. It took me all of thirty seconds to climb the steps to the third floor.

Anxiously, I inserted the key into the gate and the gate folded open, allowing me access to the rooms on the third floor. Room 312 was right across the hall and it took me little time to dig out the correct key. _Mary…please be here! _

….

Next time…James discovers the truth. /= And then he'll have to face his fears, won't he? Pyramid Head IS probably the scariest monster in Silent Hill, anyway. Don't you agree?


	21. The Truth

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill series or anything related to it. I do not own James, Laura, Mary, or anyone else in this story. They all belong to Konami. **

**Chapter 21: The Truth **

Mary wasn't there. The room—though bright with sunlight streaming through the large windows—was empty. My hopes crashed to the ground and splintered like glass as I realized my fears had come true. _Mary…you have to be here! If not here, then where? _

The room appeared as we had left it those three years ago. The king-size bed was neatly made with those thick, bland sheets. The curtains were pulled back so that the view of Silent Hill was clear. The small refrigerator in the corner still held a couple bottles of soda and a bottle of wine. But Mary wasn't there.

A television set was positioned near the windows, a VCR sitting on the floor beside it. The VCR seemed as if it still worked and the television erupted in static when I turned it on. Eagerly I popped the videotape into the VCR and waited, leaning back in the closest yellow chair.

The static changed to a steady gray screen and an image of Mary appeared. It was taken in this very hotel room and she was standing in front of the windows, admiring the view. My head turned to the windows and I imagined her there.

_"Are you taping again? C'mon,"_ she said with a gentle laugh. I had always loved it when she laughed like that. Mary gazed out the window, lost in thought. _"I don't know why, but I just love it here. It's so peaceful…"_

"Not anymore, Mary," I whispered even though that Mary couldn't hear me. I wondered how she would feel knowing this place had turned into a nightmare. On the screen, Mary turned to the camera, a smile on her face.

_"You know what I heard? This whole area used to be a scared place. I think I can see why. It's too bad we have to leave. Please promise you'll take me again, James,"_ Mary begged, coughing a little. I never took her back to Silent Hill; she had gotten sick soon after that.

The screen faded to a dark color and I thought it was over. As I reached for the VCR, I watched as an image flashed over the screen. It was difficult to see, but it looked like Mary lying in her bed with me sitting beside her. My eyes stayed glued to the screen; I didn't remember taping any of this.

All of a sudden—as Mary started up one of her coughing fits again—the James on the screen reached behind her head and threw a pillow over her face. I stared in horror as Mary struggled, to no avail. James held the pillow over her face tightly until she stopped squirming. It all came rushing back into my memory as the screen turned black and the tape slid out from the VCR.

For a long time I sat there in the yellow chair, my hands folded underneath my chin, as I tried to make sense of what I'd seen. The truth had finally come out; I was the reason Mary wasn't here. I was the one who had killed her, suffocated her because I couldn't stand to see her suffer. _Mary…_

"So there you are, James," a voice called out. Laura walked into the room and stood in front of the television, staring down at me. She had been Mary's friend; she would never forgive me. "Did you get the letter? Did you find Mary? If not, let's get going already," she continued, pulling my hand childishly.

"Mary's gone," I murmured, lifting my head to gaze into her wide blue eyes. "She's dead." Laura stared at me as though uncomprehending what I was telling her.

"Because she was sick?" It was a simple question, spoken in a small voice—the kind that children use when asking their parents a serious question. It occurred to me then that Laura was only eight with no one to listen to her. She was eight, old enough to understand about Mary. Or so I thought.

"No…I killed her," I revealed. Laura's face scrunched up as if she were about to cry. Then, she began throwing punches into my shoulder. I could barely feel them; I was so lost in my shame and grief.

"You killer! Why'd you do it! I hate you! I want her back! Give her back to me!" Laura protested, slamming her tiny fists into my arm, as if that would make a difference. _Mary isn't coming back,_ I tried to say, but the words never came out of my mouth.

"I knew it," Laura went on, tears running down her cheeks. "You didn't care about her! I hate you, James! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" Laura stopped hitting me, her breath coming quick because of the exertion. All I did was sit there, not hearing enough to respond. Everything she said was the truth. _Laura…you deserve to hate me. _

"She was always waiting for you…why…why…" Laura's voice became soft, desperate. Realizing that I wasn't going to answer, she ran away towards the door. I heard her footsteps retreating and the click of the door as she left. I would never see her again.

"Laura, I'm sorry," I said, though it meant absolutely nothing. I could not repair her hopes or her heart. I did not deserve an easy punishment.

_"James. Where are you? I'm waiting," _Mary's voice came through the static of my radio. Amazed, I held it up and examined it. It was her; she was speaking to me! Mary was actually calling me! _"I'm waiting for you. Please come to me. Do you hate me? Is that why you won't come? I'm waiting nearby, James. I want to see you,"_ the voice continued. It kept going like that until I exited the room. After that, the radio died out and Mary's voice could no longer console me.

….

**Well, there's the truth for you. Good job, James. How about some Dup Pyramid Head next time? And Maria will die….yet again. (= Until next time, readers! **


	22. Angela's Ashes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill or anything in relation to it. I do not own James, Laura, Mary, Maria, or anyone else involved in this story. I only own…my laptop. **

**A/N: Hey readers out there! Sorry for the delay (it's been almost two months!) and you may throw rocks at me if you want. I've been working on some of my other stories for a bit. **

**Despite the lateness, enjoy the chapter! **

**Chapter 21: Angela's Ashes**

I had descended into a deeper level of hell; I understood that fact as soon as I stepped outside of Room 312. Everything was falling apart now, all because of what I did to _her_…Mary. _Oh, God, I really killed her, didn't I? I just couldn't stand to see her suffer day after day…but I guess that's no excuse._

The floors of the hotel were flooded with disgusting, murky water, making a wet sound as I wandered. The walls were caked with grime to the point where I couldn't see the wallpaper at all. The plates on the doors no longer shined, but were crusted with blood and God knew what else.

I retraced my steps to the second floor while using the walls as my guide; the battery in my flashlight had died. My radio worked, though—it omitted static as one of Angela's monsters passed by. It avoided me, its mattress-like body bouncing as it moved down the hallway.

For a moment I followed behind it and then turned into a short hallway that hosted the cloak room. That room was locked but the one across from it wasn't.

It was the reading room of the hotel. I only went there once while staying in the hotel with Mary. One large bookshelf stood in the center, dividing the room. On the right side was a table with a couple books propped on the surface. On the left was a desk with a medical journal lying open.

There was also a pair of headphones with a tape recorder attached. I slipped the headphones on out of curiosity and pressed play on the recorder. As I did, I could hear a man speaking, his voice filled with worry and concern. A sense of déjà vu passed over me as I listened. _Mary's going…to die? You…you must be joking…_

…

**Three Years Earlier**

"Mary's going…to die? You…you must be joking," I protested as I scrutinized the doctor's face, trying desperately to understand. I was sitting in his office, one filled with countless medical books and degrees framed over his desk.

The doctor himself was a middle-aged man with graying hair and a beard to match. He was casually leaning back in his chair, his fingers bunched under his chin, and his sympathetic bespectacled eyes gazing at me. All I could think about was Mary, so weak and pale in that hospital bed.

"I'm very sorry," he replied, but he didn't sound overly convincing. For him, this was probably a daily routine: tell the family their loved ones are bound to die and there's little hope. This was _my_ Mary and I wasn't going to let her go easily.

"But you're a doctor," I reminded him, desperation clear in my voice. Frustrated, I jumped up from my chair and leaned towards the man. "It's your job to heal people! How can you just sit there—"

_…and eat pizza…_

"—and let her die?" The doctor held up his hands in defense as I slammed my palms on the smooth surface of his desk.

"Please calm down. As her doctor, I promise I'll do what I can. But…there's still no effective treatment for her condition," he said, trying to help me see the situation fully. An angry expression must have clouded my eyes, for he began pleading. "I…I can continue to check on her and making her as comfortable as possible…but that's the only hope I can give you," the doctor told me with a solemn voice. My anger fizzled, slowly evaporating as I stared into the man's blue eyes.

"All I want from you is an answer…"

_Maria…_

"How long does she have?" Abruptly the question popped out of my mouth. The doctor opened his mouth to say something but it took a full minute before he chose his words.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure. Three years at most…perhaps six months…It's impossible to say with certainty," he explained, the last bit of brightness deflating out of his eyes. Slowly, I fell back into the chair and sank my head into my heads miserably. _Mary…_

…

The memory was one I thought I had forgotten. It overwhelmed my mind to the point where my hands were shaking as I replaced the headphones on the desk. Mary had been ill, with only three years to live if even that. It was the reason why I imagined she had died three years ago; I blocked out those years of depression and suffering. Instead, I had insisted they were filled with the emptiness of losing Mary. _She isn't here, James…_

"Mary, forgive me," I whispered as I collapsed into the chair next to the desk, my body shaking with the tears that ran down my face.

…..

It seemed like forever before I managed to lift my body from the chair and leave the reading room. The situation snapped back into focus as I registered the presence of the Mannequin waiting for me outside the room. The emotions I felt for Mary were strong and obscuring my judgment.

Channeling those emotions, I emptied them mercilessly into the Mannequin, beating it down with the crowbar in my hands. The anger swept through me and I poured it over the Mannequin. _Mary…you killer! I want her back…give her back to me! _

…

The hotel was a nightmare now, just as the hospital had been. It was like a labyrinth, each door leading somewhere entirely different until I could no longer retrace my steps. Each time I went into one of the second floor rooms, I was either finding myself in the same hallway or inside a hallway on the other part of the hotel. _Mary…where do I go? How do I find you? _

Once more, I stepped into Room 204 and was transported to another hallway. At the end was a set of double doors and beyond that was the lobby. Shifting the crowbar in my hands, I hurried to the doors and—miraculously—they swung open.

Except I wasn't seeing the lobby. I was standing just outside the room that hosted the employee's elevator. Confusion swept over me as I realized it wouldn't be that easy at all. _How the hell…? But of course! The employee's section branches off the lobby!_

When I tried the doors at the other end of the hall, they refused to budge; no getting into the lobby that way. I even attempted to force the crowbar in between the doors, but the crowbar slid out, colliding against the floor. The only thing that worked was the elevator, something that hasn't brought me much luck lately.

As soon as the heavy doors of the elevator slid closed, I frantically jabbed at each button. The only one that responded was the button for the basement, glowing dimly in the small space.

The elevator took its time descending, cranking and groaning until it hit the bottom level. When the doors opened, water flowed into the elevator, surrounding my feet up to my ankles and then near my waist. The lights flickered, threatening to go out at any moment. _Where did all this water come from? _I thought as I pushed my way through the water.

There was a black gate blocking the stairwell, so I ducked into the bar. The water continued to rise slowly as I jumped over the bar and reached the door on the other side, leading into the kitchen.

"Whoa," I murmured as I practically ran into a Mannequin in the kitchen. It was standing knee deep in the water, right in front of the exit. It charged at me, swinging its limbs. Avoiding one of the limbs, I swung the crowbar into its side, knocking it into the water.

_Where is it? Where did it go? _With all the murky water and lack of lighting, I couldn't see the Mannequin clearly enough. Occasionally I'd catch a glimpse of a shadow moving in the water. _Forget this,_ I decided as I moved toward the door instead. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the figure leap out of the water. Quickening my steps, I slammed the door behind me just as the Mannequin lunged, crashing into the door.

The hallway was dark, but I used the walls to guide me. I imagined the layout in my head, how there would be a door leading to the stairwell; my only hope in finding a means for escape. It was quiet, so much that I could hear my own breath coming in gasps.

Fumbling with one of my hands, I located the door and—sending a prayer to whoever was listening—gratefully burst into the other room. What I found wasn't what I had been expecting at all: Angela.

It was a different stairwell than I had seen before; this one was only one set and covered in flames. Angela stood on a higher step, staring at the wall. Then I realized it wasn't just the wall, but a picture and a piece of clothing. Her hands were placed on her arms, as if she were trying to give herself comfort. Tears streaked her pale face and her eyes seemed vacant as she faced me.

"Mama," she cried out, her dark eyes lighting up with childish glee. Her brown hair swept over her face like a curtain. "Mama, I was looking for you," she said as she dashed down the stairs. _Silent Hill…it's finally gotten to her. Just like it's gotten to Eddie. Just like it's getting to me, _I realized. The flames felt hot against my skin and sweat rolled down my face.

"Now you're the only one left. Maybe then…maybe then I can rest," Angela was saying, gazing at me with longing. Angela's mind was warped to the point where she had lost all connection with reality.

Slowly, I backed away from her and her expression became one of confusion. Angela cornered me and, almost desperately, she reached out to touch my face and to stare into my eyes. At that instant, I saw the change in her; the veil had risen and she could see me for who I was.

"You're not Mama," she breathed quietly, almost to herself. I felt a little sorry for her, mainly because her mind was far gone even more than mine. "It's _you_…I'm sorry," she apologized, looking distressed and tight lines stretched on her forehead.

"Angela, no," I tried to console her, but it was no use. The fire burned the walls, the flames crackling as they scorched the wallpaper and the edges of the clothing on the wall. If Angela and I stayed here any longer, we could perish in these flames. _Maybe that's what Angela wants,_ I thought with pity.

"Thank you for saving me…but I wish you hadn't," Angela admitted. Her voice sounded so tired, so worn out and depressed. "Even Mama said it, I deserved what happened," she told me, her face contorting with her sadness.

"No, Angela. That's wrong," I protested. No one deserved what she had gone through, or even what she was going through at that moment. Carefully, I ascended a step and drew closer to her, but she backed away; it was like a small dance between us.

"No, don't pity me. I'm not worth it," she said bitterly, holding up her hands to stop me. Suddenly, her demeanor shifted—Angela's eyes became cold and her voice was mocking. "Or maybe you think you can save me. Will you love me? Take care of me? Heal all my pain?"

My eyes dropped from her face; it was too difficult to stare her in the eye. Angela didn't need to glance at me to know my answer. _I'm sorry, Angela. I'm sorry it turned out this way for you,_ I thought sincerely.

"That's what I thought," came her retort as a result of my silence. Black smoke curled through the air and smothered me. It was getting hard to breathe now. How much longer until the flames burned us instead of the walls? "James…give me back that knife," Angela demanded. I forgot I even had the knife, stuffed into one of my pockets.

"No," I said. I already knew what Angela was planning on doing, but I would not be the one to assist her in doing it. Angela put her hands on her hips, like a child who had just been refused a cookie before dinner.

"Saving it for yourself?" Angela's eyes locked with mine and I shook my head. No matter how bad things got, taking your own life was never the answer; for me, it was never the escape that I sought. Not even after Mary.

"No…I'd never kill myself," I replied, hearing the truth in my words. Nodding, Angela turned and struggled to climb the stairs. It was clear that she had had enough of this place, enough of the troubles that she had faced. A wall of fire separated us, the flames rising almost to my face. "It's hot as hell in here," I muttered, not expecting her to stop for a minute more.

"You see it, too? For me, it's always like this," she said before continuing her way up the stairs. That's when I understood: somehow, I was standing in the midst of Angela's nightmare, the world that constantly haunted her in Silent Hill. It wasn't Pyramid Head that stalked her, but the flames caused by her crime, by the desire to strike back against those who had hurt her.

"Angela…" I called to her, but she was already gone. Her figure blended in with the black smoke until I could no longer distinguish her in the darkness. It was the last time I would ever see her alive.

….

**Sorry for the delay (again), but I hoped this chapter was good. Poor Angela. I actually kind of felt bad for her the first time I played this game. **

**Almost at the end now—which ending should I choose for James? Remember to review; they're always appreciated. **


	23. One Last Stand

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 2 or anything related to it at all. I do not own James, Angela, Eddie, Laura, or Pyramid Head. **

**A/N: It's been a little bit since my last update (maybe a week or two) but here it is. I just suddenly had a stroke of inspiration. So, I hope the readers enjoy. **

**Chapter 23: One Last Stand**

Angela was gone, just a bleak figure vanishing into the thick cloud of black smoke. Eddie was gone, shot down by my own hand, though it was not the first time I'd taken a life as I now realized. Laura—sweet, gentle Laura whom was to be adopted by my late wife—had run from me and I feared I would never see her again. Was I the only one left to suffer the consequences? Was I alone in this madhouse known as Silent Hill, doomed to fall apart and go mad?

Angela was gone, but the fire still burned. It consumed everything—wallpaper, stairs, my clothes. It left nothing to spare. How much longer would the dark fire burn until this nightmare became ashes, crumbling at my feet?

…

Time was irrelevant in Silent Hill and so I had no idea how long I stood there, watching the place where I last saw Angela. It could have been hours, though no one in the world would have noticed. There was no one left to notice.

Drawing in a deep breath, I stiffly moved towards the stairwell door; it was my only means of exit from this room. The fire was blocking the stairs and I had little doubt that Angela had climbed them for the last time, that she had allowed herself to give in to the flames that haunted her. My eyes barely registered the difference in location—that was how much of a mindless zombie I had become while losing my mind in this place.

Instead of the water-logged corridor, I was facing a clean—well, except for the stench of mildew and the rust—staircase, leading up to the next floor. This place was playing tricks on me, making me think I was going crazy. _Keep it together, James,_ I thought. _You can beat this hell. Just think of Mary, waiting…_

Without another second's thought, I ascended the stairs, my feet clomping loudly on the metal. The stairs only reached the first floor, no more. Beyond the single door was a familiar hallway, the hallway I had traveled when I took the employee's elevator. This time, it was dusty and caked with dirt everywhere. Yellow police tape read "Do Not Cross" and was scrolled over various doors. The windows were broken, replaced with wooden planks that had long ago cracked and rotted. There were massive holes in the wall, caused by some great, unknown force.

Hastily I ran the hallway until I saw a door with a flickering exit sign above the doorframe. I no longer questioned my instincts; I simply let my feet lead me closer to her. _If she's even real. But she can't be if I killed her,_ I thought with slight confusion.

Ignoring my tangled mind, I stepped into the next gloomy hallway, which consisted of long, gray walls and metal grating on the floor. It was as silent as the grave as I hurried down the nearly endless hall. At the end, like a light at the end of a tunnel, there was a crimson door. _Crimson….like the entrance to Hell itself,_ I surmised, strangely feeling no emotion at the thought. _Crimson…like when I jumped into my own grave. Perhaps I am dead, like Mary._

Hell was not what lay behind the door, though I wouldn't have been surprised if it really was Hell. For a minute, I rubbed my eyes, thinking I had stepped into a plain, hopeless cell. Was this what my existence was reduced to? Being trapped for the rest of my days?

It was not a cell, either. There were only four walls, rising into the darkness without any signs of a ceiling. On one wall was a photo of Mary, the one I had kept in my pocket for so long. Puzzled, I reached inside that pocket and came up empty. Frantically, I searched my other pockets but failed to find the photo. Instead, I found the scraps of paper that had served for Mary's letter. Only now, the papers were empty without any words at all. Absently, I let them fall from my fingers and they scattered the floor. _Where's Mary's picture? Where's her letter? Did I imagine every word? _

My mind was suddenly my greatest enemy, forcing twisted assumptions in front of me until I couldn't think straight. What was reality and what was nightmare? I couldn't tell anymore.

There was a crimson door, just like the previous one and it creaked open as I approached it. My instincts told me to be ready for anything, to be on my guard and to expect the worst. It was a bare and dim room. It took me almost ten minutes of observation to recognize it as the hotel's lobby. The grand staircase was gone, along with the marvelous clock and its haunting melody. All that remained were the double doors.

My eyes studied the doors for a moment and—though there was no noise or movement to trigger it—my eyes rose upwards until they met those of someone I thought I had lost forever. On the balcony overlooking the lobby, Maria was hanging upside-down, strapped down on a metal surface. Beside her was Pyramid Head…two forms of him, one on either side. The crowbar I had been holding clattered on the ground at my feet and my breath stopped. _Maria! _

"James," she cried out, fear staining her voice. Desperately she struggled against the ties on her wrists, but I already knew it was no use. My nerves jumped like electricity as I watched her slowly give up.

"Stop! Leave her alone," I screamed at the two menacing figures, to no avail. This was my punishment, I understood now. Pyramid Head would punish me until the day I accepted my crime, faced the truth. I would watch Maria die—have watched her die—over and over and over again. "Leave us both the hell alone!"

One of the Pyramid Heads approached Maria from behind while the other pointed its spear at her chest. At the same exact time, both drew back their weapon and brutally plunged it into her body. Maria's shrill screams filled my ears as thick, red blood dripped onto the carpet below. Her eyes began to lose their luster and her body grew slack as her breath left her for the last time. _Maria, no….how many times? How many times must I relive it? _

I sank to my knees in a sort of defeat and hung my head in shame. _No, James. You mustn't give up yet. It's not over. Pyramid Head only has one purpose…_And that's when I completely understood the meaning of my darkest hallucination. _It wasn't that I had killed Mary…it was that I had yet to be punished for it,_ I realized.

"I was weak," I mumbled as, somehow, the two Pyramid Heads reappeared behind me, posed to fight. "That's why I needed you…needed someone to punish me for my sins. But that's all over now. I know the truth. Now, it's time to end this," I declared as I got to my feet and picked up my crowbar, turning to face down my enemy for one final time.


	24. Punished No Longer

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 2. I do not own James, Maria/Mary, Angela, Laura, or Pyramid Head. **

**Chapter 24: Punished No Longer **

The two Pyramid Heads took my statement seriously and trudged towards me immediately, spears raised and aimed at my chest. In the back of my mind, I kept reminding myself not to let them push me into a corner; if they did, I would lose. Hopelessly, I struck out with the crowbar, but one of the monsters used his spear to force it away.

Part of me wanted to run. But I was done running. Instead, I shifted my movements so that it was a sort of dance with the Pyramid Heads. Around the room we went—me striking with my crowbar while they jolted their spears in my direction. One spear nearly took my head off, whizzing past my ear.

_I don't need to be punished anymore. I've learned from my mistakes and I regret what I've done to Mary,_ I thought as I dodged another blow, this one closer to my chest. The two Pyramid Heads ganged up on me, causing me to retreat backwards as they aimed for me. _This is the end and you know it. This is the final Judgment…_

A flash of that old picture in the Historical Society came to my mind and I wondered if that was how I'd be punished, just like Maria only moments ago. As the two executioners rushed towards me, I swung my crowbar out, hitting the side of one of their helmets. The impact made a hollow clanging sound and neither one noticed.

It was then that I realized they were deliberately aiming for me so as to force me into one of the room's corners, something I'd tried to avoid. I thought about slipping past one of them, but they came on either side, blocking my way. Defensively, I held my crowbar up in front of me, showing I would not back down now.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore. I feel the consequences of my actions, of killing Mary. My punishment is over," I said, my voice barely shaking at all. Just as I became permanently trapped between the two Pyramid Heads, they froze as if time had stopped. I held my breath, imagining their weapons coming in contact with my skin, tearing it and having my blood spill.

Instead, the most amazing thing happened. The Pyramid Heads lowered their spears and turned their backs to me. Slowly, they walked away until they were in the very center of the room. _They're retreating…I did it! I won. _

The monsters halted in the center and, picking up their weapons, stabbed themselves right below the helmet, angling it so the tip would pierce an unseen portion of its body. The end of the spear stalled on the carpet, supporting the bodies upright. Every inch of movement ceased and the battle was over.

"I won," I repeated under my breath, incredulous at the sight. It took me a while to believe it; I even studied the two figures in case they suddenly moved. But no, it was over. The pain, the suffering, the deaths…it was finally over. Pyramid Head would move no longer.

…..

As soon as I was convinced that that was the end of Pyramid Head, I practically burst through the lobby doors and found—God bless me—the entrance to the hotel. It was almost over; all that was left was to find Mary. _Mary, wait for me. I'm almost there. _

Even though I passed through the hotel's entrance, I did not find the outside world. It was a long, narrow hallway with a pair of doors at the far end. Strangely, as I was walking down the hallway, a faint memory of Mary intruded my mind. Her fair voice seemed to echo off the walls and whisper along my spine.

_"Mary…"_

_ "What do you want, James?"_ And then I remembered perfectly.

…

"What do you want, James?" Mary was curled up in a hospital bed, her hollow face staring out the window as drops of rain rolled down. It was always raining. I glanced at her and saw that she seemed paler than the days before, her eyes sunken and her skin hanging off her as she grew thinner. It hurt me to see her this way, so far from my Mary.

"I, uh…I brought you some flowers," I said, holding up the bouquet of daisies. Mary tilted her head and scowled at them before gazing out the window again. It was cold in the hospital room, but Mary refused to be suffocated in a blanket. Perhaps she didn't even feel the cold anymore.

"Flowers? I don't want any damn flowers," she muttered angrily. Carefully, I set the bouquet on her bedside table, but she didn't acknowledge them. Lately, Mary had been constantly upset and angry, her emotions like a rollercoaster. _Oh, Mary…if you would only let me help you,_ I thought. "Just go home already," she growled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Mary, what are you saying?" This dark behavior was startling me. Once or twice she'd been hostile towards her nurses and doctors because she felt they couldn't help her. This anger towards me was fresh and new. She couldn't even look me in the eyes anymore.

"Look," she demanded, abruptly sitting up and pointing to her sickly form. "I'm disgusting! I don't deserve flowers," she protested, swiping the bouquet off the table and letting them fall into a trash bin. "Between the disease and the drugs, I look like a monster," she said before shying away from me completely. _Mary, no…you're still beautiful…_

It was silent for a good few minutes as I observed her, small as a child and whimpering into her pillow. I reached out a hand for her, but she drew back as though afraid of my touch.

"Well, what are you looking at? Get the hell out of here! Leave me alone already. I'm no use to anybody. I'll be dead soon anyway," Mary whispered, tears falling down her cheeks that matched the pattern of rain on the windows. It pained me to listen to her words, but I figured the least I could do was obey her wishes. I turned to leave, but her voice continued.

"Maybe today…maybe tomorrow. It'd be easier if they'd just kill me. I suppose the hospital's making a nice profit off me; they want to keep me alive," Mary sneered and closed her eyes. I felt like I couldn't move, not while Mary was broken so badly. "Are you still here? I told you to go! Are you deaf?" Mary's rising voice shook me and I nodded, opening the door of her hospital room. Mary called back to me, but I was already through the door. Still, she screamed so that I could hear her all the way down the hallway.

"James! Wait! Please don't go…Stay with me! Don't leave me alone! I didn't mean what I said! Tell me I'll be okay! Please, James! Help me," she cried, her shrill voice echoing off the walls. I hung my head as I left the hospital, unsure of when I'd return. One thing was for certain: the Mary lying in that wretched hospital bed was not the Mary I knew. Everything after that day was blank.

…

Sweat poured off me as I recalled that terrible day, one of the last days I spoke to Mary before I must have killed her. Mary was so weak, suffering alone in that bed and left to die. Somehow, I'd ended up on the ground with my head in my hands. _Mary…I'm so sorry…_

Breathing deeply, I lifted my body off the ground and forced myself to exit through the hotel's doors. It was one step closer to the end, one step closer until I could wake up from this nightmare.

It was raining. The heavy drops reminded me of the endless rain that existed outside of Mary's window. The courtyard was flooded, leaving only the walkway bare. At least it wasn't pure darkness. That much I was grateful for.

Following the walkway, I slipped into one of the side doors and was shielded from the pouring rain. It was thirty seconds, but my clothes were already soaked through. There was an almost eternal set of stairs, rising up high. Was Mary waiting up there? Hurriedly, I climbed each step and felt my heart race as I became closer to her. _She's there. She's waiting for me, I know it!_

When I reached the very top—and was out of breath for doing so—the stairs groaned beneath me. Just as I stepped onto the topmost platform, the stairs fell away and crashed somewhere far below. _Well, that figures. It doesn't matter, not if Mary's here…_Then, a soft voice was calling me.

"James…"

…..

**Okay, so the next chapter will be the last chapter. I've been wanting to end this story for a while and I suddenly had a little inspiration. In the final chapter, I will be using various endings. So, I hope everyone who has been reading it enjoyed it. **


	25. The Dream is Done

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 2. Furthermore, I do not own characters such as James, Mary/Maria, Laura, Angela, or anyone else mentioned throughout my story. **

**A/N: So, here it is. The final chapter of this story. I kind of changed my mind about the various endings. I first tried putting in more than one ending, but I figured this sounded better. So, I chose the Leave ending (we can't make James suffer too much, can we? Besides, Maria sort of annoys me…). I hope everyone enjoyed reading.**

**Chapter 25: The Dream is Done**

"James…." The soft, familiar voice beckoned to me, drew me closer. Yes, Mary must be here; she was waiting for me all along. But where? It was a barren, dull room with metal grating on the floor and gray walls. A single bed was placed in the center, exactly like Mary's hospital bed. The windows were cracked, exposing the trickling rain outside. By the open window stood a figure, dressed in Mary's clothing.

"Mary?" The woman lifted her head from where she leaned, staring out into the distance. When she turned, my heart accelerated and—for the first time all night—I felt a sense of joy. _Mary! It is her! Oh, thank God,_ I thought, ignoring the other part of me that reasoned for me to take a closer look. There was something…odd about Mary. Then, I saw it. Her face was pinched in a cold look and her lips were frowning bitterly. _What…?_

"When will you stop making that mistake? Mary's dead. You killed her," the woman declared. Suddenly, I knew who I was talking to. Mary wasn't here, perhaps she was never here. This was another trick that I had to face.

"Maria? It's you…but I don't need you anymore," I told her, shaking my head at her. Maria appeared more shocked than before, her fingers clenching angrily and her face scowling.

"What? You must be joking," she said, placing her hands on her hips defiantly. "I can be yours! I'll be here for you forever! I'll never yell at you or make you feel bad. That's what you wanted," she begged me, stepping closer. Maria was a delusion, I understood now. She would never be Mary.

"No. I understand now. It's time to end this nightmare," I stated, gripping the crowbar tightly in my hands. Maria seemed disappointed for a moment, glancing back at the window with longing. Then, with one furious spin of her body, she proved she was ready to face me.

"I won't let you! You deserve to die too, James," she yelled as her figure began flickering and growing hazy. The next thing I knew, I was no longer looking at Maria. Her body had taken on a new form, her true form. It was a grotesque, torn body covered in blood and hanging upside down just as she had when Pyramid Head killed her that last time. The battle had begun.

Before I could move, a swarm of bats surrounded me and I held up my arms to swipe them away. Maria's twisted form dangled over me, eyes dead and soulless. A thick black tongue wrapped itself around me, threatening to choke me. _You deserve to die, James…_

_I…can't…breathe,_ I thought as I desperately struggled against her. The crowbar fell from my grip as I tugged on the black tongue with both of my hands. Cackling laughter erupted from Maria's slit of a mouth. Releasing one of my hands, I pulled back and landed a blow in her face. Maria screeched and the tongue unraveled, dropping me to the ground.

Quickly I retrieved my crowbar and swung at her caged body, piercing her a few times. Maria's screams rang in my ears, reminding me of Mary in the hospital. _No, James…this is not Mary. This is a delusion and you must face it,_ I convinced myself.

Maria came at me again, but I was ready. Lifting my crowbar like a baseball bat, I plunged it into the black tongue that was trying to catch me again. Pieces of the tongue flew in different directions, burning into ashes where they landed on the ground. Blood sprayed over me as the tongue became broken, severed almost.

_Do I look like your girlfriend? See, I'm real,_ the voices echoed around me constantly and I fought to ignore them. _Anyway? You're supposed to take care of me, James…_

"Shut up," I growled, forcing the memories out of my head. Those memories were lies, nothing but tricks deceiving me the whole time. "You don't exist. You're not real," I exclaimed as I continually slammed the crowbar into Maria's side. The caged body abruptly swung around and knocked me to the ground.

More bats swirled around me, but I dodged them by rolling out of the way. Getting to my feet, I raced towards Maria and hit her repeatedly with the crowbar. It must have been only a minute, but then Maria was wailing like I'd never heard before. Parts of her monstrous flesh scattered on the floor, burning instantly. Her eyes rolled back in her head and the cage collapsed to the ground, melting away. All that was left was Maria, laying on the ground helplessly and reaching a hand towards me.

"James…" she called to me, her eyes pleading with me. Nearing her, I raised my crowbar for the final blow and hesitated. Her face was so much like Mary's, now that it returned to normal. Her skin was so pale, her fingers so delicate that I longed to take them in my own. _No, she isn't Mary. This has to end,_ I thought, ignoring Maria's pleas. Finally, with one hard strike, I snuffed the remaining life out of her. Everything went black.

….

In my dream, I was sitting in a darkened room with Mary. She was still sick and lying on her bed. As I sat by her bedside, I held her hands in mine and rested my head on the mattress. _Mary…I'm so sorry…._

"Forgive me," I begged her, tears stinging my eyes. Mary didn't look angry or upset with me. She looked…pleased and peaceful. Death's cool hand was touching her, I knew and it was only a matter of time before she left me again.

"I told you that I wanted to die, James. I wanted the pain to end," she said, somehow understanding my actions. In my mind, I didn't deserve her understanding or her happiness, but I accepted it anyway. Mary tried to smile weakly and it made me smile in turn.

"That's why I did it, honey. I couldn't watch you suffer," I explained, watching her with sad eyes. She would always be my Mary, sick or not. Why had I neglected that before? Mary crossed her hands over her arms and she appeared like someone lying in a casket.

"No, wait. That's not true. You also said you didn't want to die," I told her, remembering that awful memory in the hospital. Mary had been so full of life before she became sick; of course, she wouldn't give in to death easily. "The truth is…I hated you. I wanted you out of the way. I wanted my life back," I went on, even though it hurt me to tell her. Still, she deserved the truth more than anything. Even then, Mary did not look upset or surprised.

"James, if that were true, then why do you look so sad? Please do something for me. Go on with your life," she requested, handing me a note. Mary's body went still and her breathing slowed. She was gone and the dream faded.

…..

The dream was done and I was more or less alive. I woke in the cemetery where I first met Angela. I could almost picture her kneeling in front of the grave, her brown hair like a curtain to shield her face. My head was spinning and it took me a minute to remember what happened.

_It's over…It's finally over,_ I thought with a burst of relief. Carefully I stood and dusted my clothes off. Had it been a dream? Or had I really journeyed through a nightmare in search of Mary? The memories were fuzzy and fading fast. My eyes suddenly landed on a few pieces of paper, left beside me. Taking them in my hands, I read them and my eyes widened. _Mary…_

_In my restless dreams, I see that town…Silent Hill. You promised you'd take me there again someday. But you never did. _

_ Well, I'm alone there now…in our special place…waiting for you. _

…..

**The End…I opted not to give you guys the entire letter at the end. Well, I hope you liked it. Finally I have finished! (= Now I am working on finishing my other Silent Hill story. Until next time, readers! **


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